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Household Wisdom 

A Collection of the 

Very Best and Most Helpful Hints 

and Practical Suggestions 

for the Home 



Price - - - 50 Cents 



Compiled by 

The Eluto Publishing Co. 

Washington, D. C. 



^p^-i 



e^ 



Introduction 

"HOUSEHOLD WISDOM" 
A Little Book With Big Results 

The following practical suggestions will enable one to 
solve hundreds of perplexing problems that confront 
the would-be happy home maker, and gain information 
gleaned from reliable sources that will be of incalcul- 
able value in the care and management of the home. 



AUG 25 



Copyrighted 1916 
. by 
Charles G. Eluto 



IP 






Household Wisdom. 



ACID ON CLOTHES. 
If you drop acid on your clothes, the im- 
mediate application of ammonia will prevent 
damage. 

FOR AILING PLANTS. 

As an antidote for fungous diseases as well as 
scalicide, lime mixed with a little sulphur and 
stirred into the soil about plants is excellent. 
This should be used frequently and when the 
soil is rather dry. 

ANTS ARE KILLED BY GAS. 

A dime 's worth of moth balls, a nickel 's worth 
of sugar and a glass of water with a bottle — 
that's the *' secret" of the asphyxiating ''gas" 
of a farmer in his war on the armies of Argen- 
tine ants. 

A two-gallon bucketful of the insects, so 
deadly to vegetation, was the toll of the ''gas" 



4 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

in the trenches on the truck farm of G. L. 
Ricks, near the race track, bordering on Algiers, 
Louisiana. 

Ricks estimated that there were something 
like forty billion ants in the bucket he exhibited. 

Ricks says he soaks the moth balls ten min- 
utes in sugared water, and places the balls in 
a bottle with both ends broken so the air cir- 
culates freely. 

A sweet, sickening odor comes from the bot- 
tle. Ricks puts a bottle to the bottom of the 
vines or trees and the ants are attracted hy 
the sugar. The odor of the moth balls and 
sugar makes the ''gas." 

Ricks says the ''gas" makes the insects in- 
sane and then they kill each oth^r. 

MEANS OF ERADICATING ANTS. 

From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology. 

Excellent success has been had in destroying 
ants with the use of bisulphid of carbon applied 
in their nests. The method consists in pouring 
an ounce or two of the bisulphid into each of 



HOUSEHOLD AVISDOM. 5 

a number of holes made in the nest with a 
stick, promptly closing the holes with the foot. 
The bisulphid penetrates through the under- 
ground tunnels and kills the ants in enormous 
numbers, and, if applied with sufficient liberal- 
it3^ will exterminate the whole colony. 

Whenever the nests of any ants can not be 
located, there is no other resource than the tem- 
porary expedient of destroying the ants wher- 
ever they occur in the house. The best means 
of effecting this end is to attract them to small 
bits of sponge moistened with sweetened water 
and placed in the situations where they are 
most numerous. These sponges may be collected 
several times daily and the ants swarming into 
them destroyed by immersion in hot w^ater. It 
is reported also that a syrup made by dissolving 
borax and sugar in boiling water will effect the 
destruction of the ants readily and in numbers. 
The removal of the attracting substances, wher- 
ever practicable, should always be the first step. 
Ants are attracted to houses by food materials 



6 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

or scattered sugar left about by children, and 
the nuisance of their presence can be largely 
eliminated by keeping all food products in a 
pantry or storeroom and limiting the amount of 
such products as strictly as possible to daily 
needs. 

That it is possible to drive ants away from 
household supplies by the use of repellent sub- 
stances, particularly camphor, has been asserted. 
The use of most repellent substances in connec- 
tion with food supplies would be impracticable. 
Gum camphor has recently been the subject of 
a careful test by Dr. William T. AVatson, of Bal- 
timore, who found that while having slight repel- 
lent properties, it does not bring any really 
practical benefit. 

ASBESTOS PADS FOR THE TABLE. 

Get enough asbestos paper to cover the table 
with double thickness. From a couple of old 
sheets cut two pieces the size of the table. Baste 
the asbestos paper between them and quilt it 
on the sewing machine, using a long stitch. This 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 7 

is necessary^ as the paper tears and pulls apart 
easily. Put this pad under the silence cloth 
and there will be no marks from hot dishes. 
No. 1.— AUTUMN LEAVES TO PRESERVE. 
To preserve autumn leaves and their natural 
colors, make a solution of paraffin in benzine, 
apply, and allow it to dry on the leaves. 
No. 2.— AUTUMN LEAVES TO PRESERVE. 

Dissolve two ounces of white shellac in a gal- 
lon of alcohol and dip the leaves in the solution, 
then hang them up to drain and dry. This 
latter is only advisable when preserving a lot 
of them for decorative purposes. 

REMOVING AXLE GREASE. 

Spread one tea.spoonful of butter or lard even- 
ly on the spot, and let it remain there until the 
axle grease has become thoroughly soft and 
greasy. Then wash out in soft, soapy water 
and the stain will come out, and there will be 
no mark left. This will be found valuable for 
children's delicate frocks. 



8 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

BAKEPANS, SAUCEPANS, KETTLES, ETC, 
NEED A GOOD EXTRA BATH. 

Bakepans, saucepans, kettles, etc, need a good 
extra bath occasionally, even though the daily 
care is of the best. 

So fill your boiler with water, dissolve a pound 
of washing soda in it, put in the utensils, and 
let them merrily simmer away until they look 
bright and new again. 

REFRESHING BATHBAG. 

Cut a circular piece twelve inches across from 
loosely woven crash or Turkish toweling, hem or 
bind it neatly and run in drawing tapes long 
enough to let the bag lie flat. When ready to 
use, put a cake of soap, a handful of salt, or any 
bath mixture, as soap and almond meal or oat- 
meal, soap and powdered orris root, or wheat 
bran and salt, for a tender skin, inside the 
bag, draw it up and use it as a sponge. 
Empty it, rinse and dry after you use it. The 
bag saves the annoying loss of soap and prevents 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 9 

any clogging of drainpipes. For a perfumed 
bag, make the bag of cheesecloth or swiss mus- 
lin, fill it with fresh rose petals or stemless vio- 
lets, with shreds of dry orange peel scattered 
through, and let it soak in the bath water from 
ten to fifteen minutes. 

TO bathp: a kitten. 

To bathe a kitten, wash it with tar soap ; 
rinse this out of her fur with a decoction of 
green pennaroyal leaves, or pennaroyal oil and 
warm water. This should rid her of fleas. 

TO CLEANSE ENAMELED OR PORCELAIN 
BATHTUBS. 

To cleanse enameled or porcelain bathtubs use 
kerosene, which is better for the surface of the 
enamel than gritty powders or sand soap. 

GETTING RID OF BEDBUGS, 

From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology. 

That the bedbug may be destroyed in houses 
by fumigating with hydrocyanic- acid gas has 



10 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM; 

been fully demonstrated during the last few 
years. The gas penetrates every crevice in the 
house or room where the bedbugs conceal them- 
selves and has an immediate effectiveness which 
gives it an important recommendation, especial- 
ly when the infestation is considerable or of long 
standing. The gas treatment for houses is de- 
scribed in full by Dr. L. O. Howard in Circular 
46, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

The old remedies, which follow, are effective 
enough, though at a greater cost of time and 
personal effort, yet will often be of service for 
slight infestation or where the employment of 
the more poisonous cyanide is objected to or is 
impracticable. 

The bedbug, on account of its habits of con- 
cealment, is usually beyond the reach of powders, 
and the ordinary insect powders, such as pyre- 
thrum, are of practically no avail against it. If 
iron or brass bedsteads are used, the eradica- 
tion of the insect is comparatively easy. With 
large wooden bedsteads, furnishing many cracks 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 11 

and crevices into which the bugs can force their 
flat, thin bodies, extermination becomes a matter 
of considerable difficulty. The most practicable 
way to effect this end is by very liberal applica- 
tion of benzine or kerosene or any other of the 
petroleum oils. These must be introduced into 
all crevices with small brushes or feathers or 
by injecting with small sj^ringes. Corrosive sub- 
limate is also of value, and oil of turpentine may 
be used in the same way. The liberal use of 
hot Avater, wherever it may be employed without 
danger to furniture, etc., is also an effectual 
method of destroying both eggs and active bugs. 
Various bedbug remedies and mixtures are for 
sale, most of them containing one or another of 
the ingredients mentioned, and these are fre- 
quently of value. The great desideratum, how- 
ever, in a case of this kind, is a daily inspection 
of beds and bedding and of all crevices and loca- 
tioiis about the premises where these vermin may 
have gone for concealment. .A vigorous cam- 
paign should, in the course of a week or so at 



12 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

the outside, result in the extermination of this 
very obnoxious and embarrassing pest. 

MAKING BEDS. 

To make up a bed so that it will be smooth, 
tuck the clothes in, one piece at a time, at the 
sides, and complete the work all but tucking 
the clothes in at the foot. Now draw the clothes 
down, one piece at a time, as taut as possible, 
and tuck them in at the foot. The bed will be 
far neater looking than would be otherwise pos- 
sible. If the bed is of iron or brass, which does 
not permit of tucking in the coverlet, tuck in 
the other clothes as directed, placing the coverlet 
over all. 

A new way to make beds is as follows: Sew 
two short loops on one end of each covering, 
these loops being the distance apart of the width 
of the bed and equally distant from the corners 
of the coverings. Then take a brass rod cut 
just as long as the bed is wide, and cover it 
with a thin padding of cotton and some durable 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



13 



material. This rod is run tlirough the loops of 
the bed coverings and tucked in at the foot of 
the bed. 

When the bed is put to air, the bedclothes 
may be readily thrown back without becoming 
separated. This device is especially adapted to 
children's beds, or is good to use when there is 
illness in the home. 

TO CLEAN BED SPRINGS. 

Take an old dish mop and dip in kerosene 
oil, wring it out and use in each small space of 
the springs. It will save your hands many a 
scratch, remove all dust and at the same time 
prevent your springs from rusting. 
YOUR BIRTHSTONE. 



Month 


Stone 


Meaning 


January 


Garnet 


Fidelity 


February 


Amethyst 


Sincerity 


March 


Bloodstone 


Courage 


April 


Diamond 


Innocence 


May 


Emerald 


Happiness 



14 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



Meaning 
Health 
Love 

Conjugal bliss 
Wisdom 
Hope 

Friendship 
Prosperity 



Month Stone 

June Agate 

July Ruby 

August Sardonyx 

September Sapphire 

October Opal 

November Topaz 

December Turquoise 

TO BLEACH COTTON GOODS. 
To take all of the color out of a faded colored 
cotton garment, or to bleach a yellowed white 
garment, boil it in cream of tartar water and 
it will come forth a beautiful white instead of 
being a dingy white or useless faded color. 

TO REMOVE BLOOD STAINS. 

Soak in salt and water for some hours, then 
wring out and rub in a fresh supply of salt and 
water. Next wash m the ordinary way, with 
soap and warm water, boil, rinse and dry in 
sunshine. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 15 

TO CLEAN WHITE BLOUSES. 

Perspiration stains may be removed from 

white blouses without any trouble if they are 

soaked before washing in cold water, to A\'^hich 

a little carbonate of soda has been added. 

TO PREVENT ANY SHADE OF BLUE 

FROM FADING. 

To prevent any shade of blue from fading, 
soak two hours in a pail of water to which one 
ounce of sugar of lead has been added. Dry 
before washing and ironing. 

CLEANING BOTTLES. 

To clean bottles fill them with scraps of torn 
newspaper and a little soapsuds, shake vigor- 
ously till the paper is dissolved to a pulpy mass 
and rinse thoroughly. You will be surprised 
how the dirtiest bottle will become clear and 
shining. 

REMOVING LABELS PROM BOTTLES. 
Wet the face of the label with water and hold 
it for an instant over any convenient flame. 



16 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

The steam formed penetrates the label at once 
and softens the paste. 

THE BOTTOM CELLAR STEP PAINTED 

WHITE. 

The bottom cellar step painted white often 
saves a tumble. 

BRAN FOR CLEANING. 

Pew people seem to know the value of dry 
bran for cleaning purposes. You may keep a 
wool suit or coat in the best condition for a long 
time by simply rubbing down with dry bran. 
Rub the spots harder than the rest, then brush 
it all off, saving the cost of sending to a cleaner. 

WHEN BRASS NEEDS CLEANING. 

When brass needs cleaning do it in this way : 
Put an ounce of alum into a pint of boiling 
water. Cool it and use. It can be bottled for 
future use. It does not hurt the hands and it 
does not hurt the brass and it will remove the 
stains that are so troublesome on this metal. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 17 

TO CLEAN BRASS FLOWER POTS. 
To clean brass flower pots or trays rub them 
with a piece of lemon ; then pour boiling water 
over them, and finally polish with a soft, dry 
cloth. 

TO CLEAN BRASS THAT IS VERY 
DISCOLORED. 

To clean brass that is very discolored iiib well 
with lemon; then clean with metal polish. This 
applies especially to gas brackets that are 
burned. 

TO CLEAN BRASS LAMP BOWLS. 

To clean brass lamp bowls, rub them with 
salt and vinegar (mixed in equal proportions) 
and then rub with a good silver polish. 

TO CLEAN BRASS THAT HAS BEEN EX- 
POSED TO THE WEATHER. 

To clean brass that has been exposed to the 
weather, make a paste of salt and common vine- 
gar; rub the brass with the mixture and leave 
for ten minutes. Then clean in the usual way. 



18 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TO CLEAN BRASSES QUICKLY AND ECO- 
NOMICALLY. 

To clean brasses quickly and economically, 
rub them well with vinegar and salt or oxalic 
acid and salt. Wash immediately after the rub- 
bing and polish with tripoli and olive oil. Un- 
less the acid is washed from the brass at once 
it will tarnish more quickly and be further 
harmed. 

PRESERVING THE BRIDE'S BOUQUET. 

The roses of the bride's bouquet are preserved 
by pressing them into beads and forming a neck- 
lace that she can keep to pass down in the future 
to her children and grandchildren as an heir- 
loom. 

TO CLEAN BRONZE. 

Dip the bronze object into boiling water and 
rub with a flannel cloth dipped in a soapsuds 
made from yellow soap. Dry with a soft cloth, 
and then polish off with a chamois. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 19 

TO CLEAN BRONZE ORNAMENTS. 
To clean bronze ornaments, first brush out the 
dust, then apply a very little sweet oil all over 
the article. Polish first with a soft duster, 
finally with a wash leather. 

TO CLEAN BRONZE STATUARY. 
To clean bronze statuary, or bronze ornaments 
in the fine lines where dust has collected, wash 
with weak soapsuds or aqua ammonia. 
TO KEEP BROOMS IN PROPER SHAPE. 

To keep brooms in proper shape, souse them 
about in the suds, after boiling the clothes on 
wash day, bending them into shape as you do 
this; then rinse, shake well and stand to dry 
upside dow^i. 

BROO]\rS TO LAST LONGER. 

A new broom will last longer if the strands 
are tied together and put into a pail of boiling 
water and soaked for two hours. Dry thorough- 
ly for two hours. 



20 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

BROOMS, BRUSHES AND MOPS CAN BE 
HUNG UP. 

Screw eyes placed in the tops of handles of 
brooms, brushes and mops, so they may be hung 
on hooks in a closet, Will allow a neater arrange- 
in ent of cleaning utensils. 

BROWN LEATHER BAGS, TO POLISH. 

Brown leather traveling bags or any other 
brown leather goods can be polished by rubbing 
them well with the inside of a banana skin and 
then polishing with a soft dry cloth. 

TO CLEAN BRUSHES. 

Clean all brushes carefully, by dipping the 
bristles in warm water to which has been added a 
few drops of ammonia. Remove any bits of hair 
or fluff from them, finish off by dabbing bristles 
in clear, cold water and hang up the brushes 
in the air to dry. 

BRUSHING A ROOM. 

When brushing a room, sweep toward the fire- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 21 

place, otherwise the draft from the chimney 
draws the dust in that direction. 

CAMPFIRE REMNANTS. 
Always be sure to destroy all remnants of the 
eampfire and to burn rubbish of every sort. 
What will not burn can be buried or else neatl.y 
jjiled under leaves or a rock. At any rate, leave 
the woods and fields through which you travel 
in as nearly the same condition in which you 
found them as possible. 

CANDLE SHADES MADE TO SUIT THE 
OCCASION. 

You may easily make candle shades to suit 
the occasion. Cut out a circular foundation 
from white bristol board, then cover this with 
crepe paper. It will be smoother if stitched 
on the machine, rather than fastened with paste. 
Make a narrow ruching of crepe paper on the 
machine and sew at the top and bottom of the 
shade while flat; then fasten the ends of the 
shade together. For a bridal shower, cut four 



22 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

hearts one inch in size at equal distances apart 
out of the bristol board, but not through the 
crepe paper. For a card party use spades, dia- 
monds, etc., for the cut-out design. With the 
numerous shades of crepe paper you can use 
class or club colors and have an effective shade 
at a small cost and A^ery little labor. 

CANDLES TOO BIG FOR THE HOLDER. 

If the candle is too big for the holder, plunge 
the end of it into hot water and it will accom- 
modate itself to the socket speedily. If the 
candle is too small for the candlestick, apply a 
match to the end, and, Avhile the grease or wax 
is dripping, place it in the socket. The melted 
grease or wax will harden and hold it firmly in 
place. 

CARPET CLEANING. 

For cleaning a carpet, try a mixture made by 
boiling half a pound of (shaved) soap in a quart 
of water until it is dissolved and then add to it 
a gallon of hot water and one ounce of salts of 
tartar. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM, 23 

]\Iix this cleanser thoroughly and scrub the 
carpet with it. using a stiff brush. It should 
lather freely and clean the carpet without mak- 
ing it very damp. Wipe each breadth (hard) 
with a cloth wrung out of cold water as you 
clean it. Where there is much green in the car- 
pet, put a cup of vinegar in the cold water into 
which 3^ou dip your wiping cloth. This is an 
old and reliable method and this quantity of 
cleanser is sufficient to clean a large carpet. 

TO BRIGHTEN SHABBY CARPET. 

Cut an ounce of yellow soap into small squares 
and make into a lather with a pint of boiling 
water. Add to this a quart of water and one 
ounce of borax and bring to a boil. When quite 
cold add an ounce each of alcohol and ammonia 
and half an ounce of glycerin. Wipe over a 
small portion of carpet at a time with this mix- 
ture, rubbing vigorously with a clean flannel 
which should be turned as it ffets soiled. 



24 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TO REMOVE GREASE SPQTS FROM 

CARPETS. 

To remove grease spots from carpets, rub on 

each spot a mixture of Fuller's earth, oxgall and 

water; then rinse this out with clear water, and 

rub as dry as possible witli a dry cloth. 

WHEN GREASE OR OIL IS SPILLED ON 

THE CARPET. 

When grease or oil is spilled on the carpet, 
spread fine meal over the spot ; it will absorb the 
grease. 

CARPET OR RUG, TO SWEEP. 
Before sweeping the carpet or rug, scatter 
small bits of newspaper dampened in water, to 
which a spoonful of borax and one of ammonia 
have been added. This will not only greatly 
lessen the dust, but will brighten and disinfect 
your carpet. 

TO CLEAN A CARPET SWEEPER. 
A very coarse scrubbing brush will be found 
the best thing for removing the threads, hairs, 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 25 

etc., which are so hard to get out of the brushes 
of a carpet sweeper. 

CAYENNE PEPPER, ENEMY OF MICE. 

Cayenne pepper is excellent to rid cupboards 
of mice. The floor should be gone over carefully 
and each hole stopped up with a rag dipped in 
water and then in cayenne pepper. 

HOMEMADE CEMENT. 
There are many good prepared cements on the 
market, but there are equally good homemade 
ones. The cement, however, is not everything. 
One must know how to go about mending. JMost 
women know the edges to be joined must be 
clean, and so they often rub so hard as to remove 
the roughened surfaces. This lessens the chance 
of a successful repair, because the cement can 
not sink into the smooth edges as it would Avere 
they irregular and all in little crevices, as it 
were. Next, the edges must be thoroughly dry 
before the cement is applied. It is a good plan 
when there are several pieces to be jointed to 



26 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

inend one at a time and let each get thoronglily 
dry and hardened before applying the next. 

To mend, first heat the edges and then apply 
the cement to both. Bring together and hold 
until it begins to harden, pressing firml3\ Then 
the article may be put away. 

An excellent cement for mending glass and 
china ware is simple and inexpensive. Isin- 
glass dissolved in its own weight of whisky, gin 
or alcohol applied as directed will hold and the 
joint be scarcely visible. 

One of the finest and most delicate of cements 
made is a mixture of one ounce of isinglass and 
one-half ounce of gum arable covered with a 
good alcohol. This should be put into a bottle, 
loosely corked and set into a kettle of hot water 
until thoroughly dissolved. This cement can be 
used for mending the finest woods, as a piano 
chipped, or to set pieces that may have broken 
loose from an inset table top or other piece of 
furnitvire. Jewelrj^ is also sometimes repaired 
with this cement, and so is polished steel. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 27 

Another simple homemade cement calls for 
materials always on hand in the house. It is 
just the white of an egg mixed into a paste with 
flour. This is good for common earthenware. 

If iron filings are added to the mixture a 
cement for mending broken parts of iron is the 
result. 

A good cement which w^ill hold labels to metal 
is made by dissolving one part of borax to five 
of gum shellac in one quart of boiling w^ater. 
Boil until the whole is clear. Before applying 
wash the metal in hot water containing common 
washing soda and warm the cement before using 
it on the labels. 

Those who have been unsuccessful in finding 
a cement that will fix paper to metal should try 
this formula. 

CLEANING CHAMOIS SKINS. 

To clean chamois skins soak them in a w^eak 
solution of washing soda, then in weak soap- 
suds for a few hours. Rinse thoroughly in water 
and dry. 



28 HOUSEHOLD AVISDOM. 

CHIGGER AND A WEAPON TO COMBAT 

HIM. 

The chigger is the "gooseberr^^ bug" in Eng- 
land, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and under 
other names he carries on his butcher trade in 
all the countries of Europe. He lives also in 
the West Indies, throughout Central and South 
America and in the orient. 

" There is one thing which the chigger will not 
endure. It is sulphur. Here is the hint for 
mankind. It is man's ally or weapon against 
the cruel and insidioiLS mite of a chigger. Give 
him suphur and he will perish. One need not 
bother about furnishing him with brimstone. 
Just hand him sulphur. If you will dust a 
little flower of sulphur into your shoes, you can 
go unafraid and unharmed among millions of 
these dreadful creatures. And remember also, 
that if after picnicking in the woods or fields 
you will take a wash after getting home, you 
may drown the chigger before he has had time 
to intrench. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 29 

TOUGHENING CHIMNEYS. 
Wash your lamp chimneys in soapsuds as hot 
as you can bear your hands in ; then stand them 
up and slowly pour boiling water over them. 
You will scarcely have to polish them at all, and 
the boiling water toughens the glass. 

CHINA BRIC-A-BRAC, DUSTING. 

Before wetting any species of china bric-a- 
brac carefully remove the dust. 

CARE OF CLOCKS. 

Get into the habit of winding your clocks reg- 
ularly. Probably in the houses where a man 
comes once a week to wind the clocks at a certain 
time they go with nnich more regularity than 
in other house.s. But anybody can get into the 
habit of winding a clock at a regular time every 
week. So, before you expect your clocks to keep 
good time, learn to wind them regularly. 

. CLOCKS, TO CLEAN. 

Often clocks stop going just because they need 
cleansing, and the offices of a clock repairer are 



30 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

not needed to clean them, either. A bit of ab- 
sorbent cotton soaked in kerosene placed under 
the clock will usually effect a thorough cleaning. 
The cloth or cotton after a few days will be 
found black with dust and dirt, which the kero- 
sene has freed and collected. 

CLOCKS WITH LUMINOUS HANDS. 

One of the clocks with luminous hands is a 
convenience, especially to an invalid or anybody 
else who is awake in the night a great deal. 
Another sort of clock that is good in the dark 
is one with a little electric bulb attached, which 
can be pushed on to show the time. 

CLOCKS FOR TRAVELING. 

The woman who travels about nuich will find 
a small traveling clock, in a substantial case, well 
worth while, for this sort of clock is especially, 
made to stand the jolts and jars of traveling. 
There are little leather cases for watches, that 
make of the watches admirable traveling clocks. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 31 

and simplify the number of things the traveler 
must carry. 

FOR A CLOSETLESS BEDROOM. 
When one has a bedroom without a clothes 
closet a very satisfactory substitute may be made 
with two shelves the same size— about twelve 
inches wide and as long as desired. One should 
be placed just at the top of the baseboard, the 
other about fifty inches above it. A narrow 
board to hold the hooks should be fastened to 
the lower side of the upper shelf where it comes 
against the w^all, also making the hooks more 
secure. Hooks made to hang from the ceiling 
can also be screwed to the under side of this 
shelf, utilizing all the space. It should be fin- 
ished with two curtains, which meet in the cen- 
ter and slide on a rod both top and bottom. 
When the curtain must continue around the end 
of the shelves that part can be tacked fast, as 
there is no need to open it there. If desired, 
a third shelf may be placed about a foot above 
the upper one and finished with a short curtain. 



32 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

This makes a good place to keep hats, etc., while 
the lower shelf makes a convenient place for 
shoes. 

TO PRESERVE CLOTHESPINS AND 
CLOTHESLINES. 

To preserve clothespins and cloth aslines and 
keep them flexible and durable, boil them a few 
minutes and then dry them quickly. This 
should be done twice a month. 

TO EXTERMINATE COCKROACHES. 

From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology. 

Roaches often seem to display a knowledge of 
the presence of poisons in food, and, notwith- 
standing their practically omnivorous habits, a 
very little arsenic in baits seems to be readily 
detected by them. 

One of the most effective simple means of rid-, 
ding premises of roaches is dusting with com- 
mercial sodium fluorid, either pure or diluted 
one-half with some inert substance such as pow- 
dered gypsum or flour. With the use of some 
dust gun or blower the sodium fluorid can be 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 33 

thoroughly dusted over the shelves, tables, 
floors, and the runways and hiding places of 
the roaches. The immediate effect is to cause 
these insects to come out of their retreats and 
rush about more or less blindly, showing evi- 
dence of discomfort, to be eventually followed 
in the course of a few hours by their death. 
These dead or paralyzed roaches can be swept 
up and burned, and complete extermination is 
effected within 24 hours. 

COCKROACHES, TO TRAP. 
A simple and practical method of trapping 
roaches in large numbers was devised by a cor- 
respondent in Brockton, Mass. He took several 
tin bread pans with nearly vertical sides about 
8 inches in height, greased the bottoms and 
sides with a little rancid butter, and placed them 
where the roaches were numerous. Each pan in 
the morning cantained hundreds of the pests 
unable to climb out because of the greased sides. 
The roaches were shaken out into hot water, and 



34 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

the pans were again ready for nse, without re- 
greasing. 

COFFEE AND FRUIT STAINS. 

Spread the stained surface over a bowl or tub. 
Pour boiling water through it from a height, so 
as to strike the stained part with force. 
COFFEE STAINS ON CUPS AND SAUCERS. 
■ You can remove coffee stains from cups and 
saucers if you rub hard with baking soda and a 
damp cloth. 

TO MAKE A COLD BOX. 

Where it is not possible to have a refrigerator, 
this box will be found to be a great convenience. 
Get a good strong box, without any cracks or 
crevices, the size you need, and pack tightly with 
layers of newspapers for four or five inches all 
around the sides and at the bottom, then fit 
asbestos paper tightly around this packing. 
Make the packing as tight as a drum, so that 
no air can get in. 

Place cold food in large stone jars and pack 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 35 

them side by side in the box. They should touch 
each other. Have good stoneware covers, and 
place a pail of ice water or very cold water in 
the box. Put several inches of layers of news- 
papers on top, then on top of all this place a 
very tight cover. Keep the box in the coolest 
place possible. 

Ice cream \W11 keep for hours when packed 
in ice and salt and placed in such a box. Any 
food which does not require to be stirred, but 
only frozen, may be put in and kept cool until 
needed. The same with all cold drinks which 
on a hot day get warm so quickly. The box 
will keep milk from souring, butter from melting 
and ice water from getting warm. To keep let- 
tuce and all other green things deliciously fresh, 
first wet with cold water, shake off as much as 
possible, then seal in glass jars and place in the 
box. 

Another good substitute for an ice box is made 
from a box three or four feet square, filled 
four or five inches deep with clean, coarse salt. 



3G HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

Keep the salt well dampened, and put the food, 
milk and butter in this homemade refrigerator. 
Butter may be kept cool in this way : Put it 
on a dish which has been placed in a shallow 
vessel of cold water and cover with an inverted 
new earthenware crock or a flower pot. The 
pot should rest in the water. Place in a cool 
spot. 

RESTORING COLORS TO COTTON. 
Where colors have been faded by acids, am- 
monia will restore them. 

FABRICS COLORED WITH ANILINE 
DYES THAT HAVE FADED. 

Fabrics colored with aniline dyes that have 
faded may be restored by sponging Avith chloro- 
form. 

TO LENGTHEN THE LIFE OF A COMB. 

To lengthen the life of a comb, wash it in 
soapy w^ater before using it. and when it is dry 
rub it with a little olive oil. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOI\I. 37 

COOKING UTENSILS, TO CLEAN. 
Kettles which have been burned black, as they 
will be sometimes, are restored by pumice stone 
to their pristine smoothness and polish. A 
piece of pumice stone lasts a very long time, and 
no chain dishcloth can ever approach it. No one 
who ever tries it will be without it. 

COPPER CAN EASILY BE CLEANED. 

Copper can easily be cleaned by rubbing with 
a cut lemon dipped in table salt, then rinsing 
with clear water and polishing with a soft, dry 
cloth. 

COPPER COOKING VESSELS, TO CLEAN. 
Copper cooking vessels of all sorts, brass and- 
irons, candlesticks and trays are best cleaned 
with vinegar and salt. 

CORKS IN THE HOUSE. 
Every housekeeper needs a box of assorted 
corks, such as are supplied by housefurnishing 



38 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

departments. It 's a very orderly house that can 
supply a cork of required size without more or 
less prolonged search and preparation, unless 
there is such a box at hand. Another useful 
addition to the kitchen is the glass cover that is 
supplied with grooves which fit it to any size 
dish. This puts the makeshift sauce plate and 
saucer, with their inconvenient edges, back into 
their ligitimate place. 

CORKS THAT ARE TOO LARGE. 

If you have a small bottle which no cork will 
fit, try boiling any cork which is handy five min- 
utes, and when it is soft it can be molded to fit 
any bottle. 

CORKS MAY BE ]\rADE AIRTIGHT. 

Corks may be made airtight and watertight 
by keeping them immersed in oil for five min- 
utes. 

CORKS A SUBSTITUTE FOR GLASS 
STOPPERS. 
Corks steeped in vaseline are excellent sub- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 39 

stitutes for glass stoppers. Acids can not affect 
them and chemical fnmes do not eat them. 
CORKS FOR SCOURING KITCHEN 
KNIVES. 
Cork stoppers do the Avork of scouring kitchen 
knives far better than a rag, and are cleaner to 
have around. 

TO CLEAN CORRODED WATER 
PITCHERS. 
By rubbing potato juice on the water pitcher 
which has become corroded from letting water 
stand in it the stains will immediately disap]3ear. 
COTTON FILLING THAT IS DAMP. 
A young woman who was making some sofa 
cushions and comforts found that the cotton 
filling that she was using had become slightly 
damp. This made it difficult to thrust the nee- 
dle through in tying the comfort, so she placed 
the cotton in the oven to dry and become slight- 
ly browned. As a result it became very light 
and fluffv and held its fluffiness. Treated this 



40 HOUSEHOLD WISDO^L 

way it holds its resilience, and does not mat and 
pack down. 

WHEN MAKING COTTON FLANNEL 
BROOM BAGS. 

When making cotton flannel broom bags, make 
them four or five inches longer than is really 
necessary. Then, as the bottom wears out, run 
a new seam across the bottom, making practically 
a new bag with a single sewing. 

CRACKED WALLS. 

When a plaster wall or ceiling is so badly 
eradked that it will not do to paint or even 
paper the surface, cover it with strong muslin 
or light canvas. Use a strong paste made of 
flour in the ordinary way with a little glue 
added to give it stronger holding qualities. 
Press out any air bubbles that may occur and 
make the surface quite smooth. Either water 
or oil colors, as well as paper, may be applied 
to this surface, and it will make a very smooth 
and a sure job. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 41 

USES OF CREPE PAPER. 

A table center of green or pink crepe paper 
is dainty and pretty at night. It should be 
laid in a strip down the center, the edges ruffled 
by being drawn between the thumb and fmger 
and puffed at intervals. Lamps or candles 
should be shaded with the same color as the 
centerpiece. Very effective lamp decorations 
are made by artificial flowers composed of crepe 
paper, as the texture of crepe paper lends itself 
admirably to the formation of petals and leaves. 
Tiger lilies and similar flowers which have sta- 
mens should have fine wire gummed over with 
thin slips of the paper inserted between the 
petals, in order to perfect the illusion. The 
stem of each flower should be tightly covered 
with green paper in order to avoid the appear- 
ance of fullness. 

Flower pots are effectively brightened by hav- 
ing ruffled or pleated 'crepe paper pinned or 
tied round, with a band of ribbon to match or 
contrast. 



42 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

A summer use for crepe paper is as a lining 
for a fire screen. It is quite as effective as silk. 
CROCHETING HINT. 

A bill file with its point protected with a cork 
is a useful little object to hold a spool of carpet 
warp for crocheting. 

KEEP THE CRUETS CLEAN. 

Everybody knows how difficult it is to clean, 
cruets and decanters that become discolored and 
stained. This is a good way to clean them. 
Roll up in small pieces some soft brown or blot- 
ting paper ; w^et them and soap them well. Put 
them into the decanters about one-ciuarter full 
of warm Avater ; shake them well for a few 
moments, then rinse with clear, cold water ; wipe 
the outside Avith a nice dry cloth, put the de- 
canters to drain, and when dry they will be 
almost as bright as new ones. 

CUFF PROTECTOR. 
Take paper napkins and fold each diagonally. 
Fold one of these napkins about either cuff, and 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 43 

fasten them with cuff pins. They are soft and 
pliable and will stay in place beautifully. 

CUSHION FOR TRAVELINa. 

Every woman who has spent long days on a 
train knoms that therfe is a spot in her back that 
is never comfortable. If she is wise, she will 
take with her next time a little round pillow 
two feet long, and twenty inches in circumfer- 
ence. The ticking should be well filled with 
feathers, so that the cushion will be firm rather 
than squashy, and the cover be dark colored. 
It tucks easily under the arm in going from one 
train to another. 

DECORATE CANDLES. 
Plain white wax candles may be decorated 
prettil}'- with various figures cut from colored 
prints. If these are heated at the fire on the 
wrong side they will stick nicely to the wax. 
DINING ROOM FURNITURE. 
In the dining room good, strong furniture is 
cheapest in the end, since the chairs and the 



44 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

table must always expect to put up with a cer- 
tain amount of wear and tear. 
DISH MOPS CAN BE USED FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES. 

Handled dish mops bought for 5 cents may be 
used for purposes other than dish washing. ITse 
one for dusting chair rounds, table legs and 
earners ; another for cleaning the top of a hot 
kitchen stove, and a smaller size for washing 
lamp chimneys. 

DISH WASHING SUGGESTIONS. 

Here is a dish-washing suggestion. Take a 
tin can the size of a tomato can. Hammer down 
the rough edges where the can has been opened. 
Punch holes in the other end with a tenpenny 
nail. Use this as a ''catch-all" for all the odd 
bits of soap which are alwaj^s left when the bar 
is nearly used up. Keep this convenient on the 
sink shelf, and if the paper-scraping process of 
cleaning the dishes of food is observed the hot 
water poured through this will be f<Hind to be 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 45 

just "sudsy" enough to wash the dishes. You 
will be amazed at the saving in soap. 
TO WHITEN DOORSTEPS. 
To whiten doorsteps, place two pounds of pow- 
dered glue in a saucepan with one and a half 
pints of water. Dissolve it over a slow fire ; 
when melted add one pound of powdered whit- 
ing, stirring it in gradually. This should be 
applied to the steps with a stiff brush. If the 
mixture becomes too stiff, add more water. 
Only a very hard rain will remove this prepara- 
tion, hence the saving of labor is considerable. 
DRIPPING CANDLES. 

Everybody who has watched candles in a 
draught knows what troublesome things drip- 
ping candles are. 

If they stand on the dinner table they make 
pools of melted wax on the cloth, that later 
hardens. But unless it is very carefully re- 
moved, after it has become absolutely cold, it 
leaves a stain on the cloth for many days — per- 
haps forever. 



46 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

If the burning candles stand on a wooden 
surface — on a shelf or table — the inconvenience 
of splotches of melted wax, hardening until fan- 
tastic shapes, is equally great. 

There are little disks of glass, pierced in the 
center with a hole the size of the ordinary 
candle, made to catch this melting grease. They 
are perhaps two and a half inches or three inches 
across, and they are made with edges slanting 
slightly upward, so that they serve as saucers. 

To adjust them, slip them over the candle, 
after it is firmly secured in the candlestick, or 
else thrust the lower end of the candle through 
them before putting it in the stick. 

They come in several different designs — some 
with scalloped edges, some with a Roman key 
engraved as a border, some with a tiny star 
sprinkled over their surface. They cost from 
a dollar a dozen up and can be used on glass 
or silver candlesticks. 

TO REVIVE DROOPING FERNS. 

A few drops of castor oil will be found most 



HOUSEHOLD AVISDOM. 47 

beneficial to drooping ferns. Drop the castor 
oil on the roots and soak the ferns in a pail of 
water all night. In a week a marked improve- 
ment will be noticed. 

USES OF DRY SAND. 

A box or fresh, dry sand is an excellent thing 
to have in a corner of the storeroom or pantry. 
If apples are carefully packed in the sand they 
will keep fresh and unshriveled for months. 

DUSTING CAN BE MADE EASIER. 
Dusting may be made easier by covering a 
child's broom with a dustcloth and Uvsing it to 
clean wainscotings, the lower parts of chairs 
and tables, or any place where one has to either 
stretch or stoop. A dish mop makes a splendid 
duster, and it can be washed. Brooms soaked 
in hot salt water will wear better. A good Ava,y 
to clean a carpet sweeper is to remove the brush 
and after taking off all the hairs and lint rub 
it well with a cloth wet in kerosene. 



48 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

DYES MADE AT HOME. 

There is a certain romance about old-fashioned 
methods of dyeing, and there is no form of 
handicraft more suited to summer camps and 
homes than that of the dyer. All that one 
needs is a set of enameled ware kettles of vary- 
ing sizes, some smooth sticks to lift the stuff 
about in the dye, a pair of rubber gloves, a line 
and a fire. "With an oil stove or a small laundry 
stove the work may be done as our grandmothers 
did it, out of doors. 

HOME DYED FABRICS. 

Home dyed fabrics are better than any others 
for summer use, both because they wear better 
and because the colors are softer, deeper and 
more natural. A web of cotton cloth costing 
a few cents a yard may be turned into cushions, 
rugs and table cloths of charming colors. A very 
fair imitation of a Navajo rug can be produced 
by dyeing and weaving cotton wicking. Braided 
or woven rugs may be made of cotton cloth torn 
into strips, and such rugs are washable and 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 49 

light, and wear indefiiiitely. The cloth can be 
combined in patchwork, applique, or simply by 
making cushions of different colors on the two 
sides. 

NATURAL DYES. 

It is best to begin with dyestuffs prepared for 
use by the chemist, what are called "natural 
dyes," such as copperas for orange-yellow, in- 
digo for blue, catechu for browns of yellow and 
red East Indian shades. 

Catechu is the extract of a certain East In- 
dian tree barks, and comes in a dry paste. Take 
a two-ounce piece, sew it in a small cheesecloth 
bag, soak it in a quart of cold water in an 
enameled ware bowl over night. In the morning 
add four gallons of boiling water and a quart 
of an ounce of copper sulphate. When the sul- 
phate is dissolved, put in the stuff to be dyed 
and let it come to a boil in the enameled ware 
kettle. Take the kettle from the fire and let the 
stuff lie in it over night, then take them out 
ifind let them dry in the open air. Dissolve in 



50 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

two gallons of warm water a piece of bichromate 
of potash about the size of a hazel nut, and dip 
the stuff into it, take it out and let it dry. 
TREASURES FROIM NATURE. 

This is the kind of process involved in most 
home dye work. To do the work as our grand- 
mothers did it is a little more complex, but 
on the other hand it is more fun ; there is the 
feeling of getting treasures direct from the 
storehouses of nature. One may not be able 
to dye exactly to a shade to match anything, 
but the colors which result wall go together. 
GOLD GREEN. 

One of the prettiest ''Hedge-row^ dyes" is 
obtained from peach leaves, w^hich gives a per- 
manent straw-colored yellow. Soak two quarts 
of peach leaves in w^arm water with a lump of 
alum; boil all together with the material for 
Mbout an hour — not too long or it may turn 
brownish. Peach leaves when green give a deli* 
cate Japanese gold-green. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 51 

GREEN. 

Green : Peel the bark of black oak. Boil the 
bark as much as half an hour. Take the bark 
out of the kettle, and put in vsome alum ; have 
plenty of water. Put in the yarn and boil it 
awhile — maybe half an hour. Wring it out and 
dip it in blue dye. 

IRON BUFF. 

Iron buff is obtained by dissolving half a 
pound of copperas in an enameled ware kettle 
containing two gallons of warm water. In an- 
other enameled ware kettle dissolve a pound 
package of soap powder in the same amount of 
water. Dip the stuff into copperas, drain, then 
dip into the soap-powder, and repeat this three 
times ; dry, rinse, and dry again. This iron buff 
is one of the oldest forms of dye. If, after 
being dyed in this way, the stuff is dipped in a 
solution of tea leaves, the tannic acid in the 
leaves will turn it gray, and the gray and buff 
make a charming combination. 



,yz 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



MISCELLANEOUS COLORS. 

Use larkspur and indigo for blue; yellow dai- 
sies or "blaek-eyed Susans," burdock, common 
nettle rott, or onion skins for yellow; the heath 
tribes for purple; and poke root for solferino. 
Hlaek alder makes an indelible orange. Any of 
these yellows combined with blue, will, of course, 
give green of some shade or other. The secret 
lies in taking time enough to do the work well, 
having things clean, and rinsing and drying 
thoroughly. 

PURPLE. 

Purple: Use maple bark and copperas; boil 
your bark until it is a pretty good ooze, and 
put in just a little grain of copperas, then put 
in your wool. 

WALNUT DYE. 

Of all homemade dyes there is none so easy 
to secure or one that presents so many possibili- 
ties as walnut dye. To get this color all that 
has to be done is to boil walnut bark or the shell 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 53 

of fresh walnuts in water until it is thoroughly 
saturated with the- color. There are many pos- 
sibilities in this coloring matter. If the nut i.* 
green when used the color will be a golden 
brown. By using the bark and leaves a greenish 
shade of brown can be obtained, and by using 
the bark alone a delightful brown is the result. 
Any of these colors lend themselves to interest- 
ing effects when used on natural-toned fabrics. 
For instance, an uncolored burlap can be made 
into an interesting color for a couch cover by 
boiling it in the desired concoction of walnut 
color. If this color is to be used in making 
woven rugs an interesting effect can be produced 
by dyeing some of the rags in one of the con- 
coctions and others in the remainder and weav- 
ing the different colors together. 

YELLOW. 

Yellow: Get brown sedge and boil it with a 
little alum and ''it makes the prettiest yaller 
that ever was." (This is the literal rule of the 
moimtain woman. ) 



54 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



1 



YELLOW BROWN. 

Another interesting yellow brown is produced 
by boiling logwood chips in water. 

One of the fastest of all colors used in home- 
made dyes is rust. And this is produced simply 
by letting bits of old iron remain exposed to 
the action of water and air. The old-fashioned 
method was to turn old tins that had become 
rusty to account by saving them to make rust 
color with. It makes a delightful yellow and 
with a little practice can be made to yield one 
of the most useful of dyes. 

Fustic also gives a good yellow. To produce 
this the fabric should have been soaked in alum 
water and dried. The alum solution should con- 
sist of a half gallon of water to seven ounces 
of alum. The fustic comes in chips which can 
be bought from the druggist or chemist. They 
should be soaked in cold water firet and then 
boiled for thirty minutes. The dye should be 
then drained from the chips and it is ready to 
pour into the dye bath. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 55 

All dyes should be thoroughly boiled into the 
fabrics and after the materials have taken up 
all the dye that is desired they should be grad- 
ually cooled and when almost dry they should 
be rinsed in cool water, carefully wrung out and 
allowed to dry again. 

There are ever so many interesting dyes that 
can be learned from old housewives who remem- 
ber the days when the household dye kettle was 
still in evidence. These colors differ in different 
localities. They are obtained from weeds and 
trees and some of them are of Indian origin. 
Like all vegetable colors, they are softer in 
quality and more lasting than the chemical dyes 
usually used nowadays. They are distinctive, 
too, and it is well worth while to spend a little 
time in reviving this rapidly disappearing use of 
the household dye kettle. 

COMMERCIAL DYES. 
Now that one dye can be bought which will 
answer alike for silk, cotton and woolen fabrics, 
success is Avell nigh assured if the directions on 



56 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

the packet are strictly followed. These are 
usually explicit, and experienced dyers need no 
other; but the amateur is apt to strike snags 
despite directions. She may not think it neces- 
sary to clean the article to be dyed, but oil or 
grease of any kind kills dye, so that any gar- 
ment known to be grea.sy at all should be soaked 
in a warm solution of ammonia and water for 
half an hour, then thoroughly rinsed in hot 
water before going into the dye pot. Cotton 
goods should be washed in hot soapsuds and 
given a thorough rinsing. To leave soap in will 
interfere with the dye. 

DYEING COTTON OR MIXED GOODS. 

AVlien dyeing cotton or mixed goods, they 
should be allowed to become cold in the dye 
bath. Dyes set very slowly in these fabrics,, 
so the cooling process is necessary to success. 
Woolens, on the contrary, absorb the dye quick- 
er, and may be rinsed while hot. Closely woven 
woolen goods should be boiled a little longer 
than those looselv woven. 



Household wfSDo:\r. 57 

WOOLEN GOODS. 
Woolen goods of any weave should never be 
allowed to boil fast. A gentle simmering will 
bring the best results. If boiled violently, the' 
tiny hairs mat and cause shrinkage, beside.s 
making the material close and board-like. 

LINEN. 

The fiber of linen, being harder and tougher 
than that of wool, silk or mixed goods, requires 
longer and faster boiling. Linen should be al- 
lowed to boil until the desired shade is obtained. 
This will be longer than in the case of the other 
materials mentioned. 

SILKS. 

Silks are so often weighted with fillers that 
on dyeing them they will fall apart. It has 
been proved that sixteen ounces of silk can, with 
fillers, be made to weigh double that amount. 
Good silks, satins and ribbons will dye satisfac- 
torily, but it is a waste of time to bother with 
cheap silks. It will be better to wash them 



58 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

through and use for linings or trimmings when 
making over garments. 

DYEING TWO DIFFERENT ARTICLES. 

Two different articles may be dyed to match 
if they are the same color before being dyed. 
If otherwise, it is practically impossible to dye 
them to match, but they will dye black. 

The home dyer should guard against over- 
dyeing. Use only the quantity given in the di- 
rections. 

Never wring dyed articles too firmly, and al- 
ways dry in the shade. The dyeing process goas 
on until the article is dry, consequently any por- 
tions exposed to the sun will dry quickly and the 
result will be a streaky garment. 

DYEING YOUR OLD WHITE SLIPPERS. 

Clean them free from soil or grease and thor- 
oughly dry them. Take some oil paint of the 
color you want them (preferably the paint that 
comes in tubes) and mix it with gasoline. Sat- 
urate the canvas with this mixture; the gaso- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 59 

line evaporates, but the color remains. Of 
course this must be done out of doors, where 
there is no fire, and be sure, too, not to Avork 
in the sun's rays on. hot days. In order to get 
the color the exact shade you want it, experi- 
ment with a small piece of cotton fabric before 
applying the dye to the shoes. 

ECONOMY IN THE HOME. 

From the Sunday Star, by Mary Lee. 

Economy in the household lies in watching 
the small expenditures rather than the larger 
outlays. This the young housekeeper seldom 
realizes until she learns the lesson by experience. 
Because she hesitates before spending large sums 
she believes she is economical and that 5 cents 
here and a dime there mean little or nothing 
at all. They do, however, make quite a differ- 
ence to the income or outgo, as she has spent 
wisely or not. As dollars will take care of them- 
selves if the cents are looked after, so large pur- 
chases are almost sure to be wisely made if the 
small ones are well considered. 



GO HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

The temptation to si^eiid these trifling .sums 
is greatest when things are marked extremely 
cheap. Their small cost is apt to be considered 
instead of the actual necessity for buying. As 
an intance, I know a woman who had no idea of 
buying a soda until she saw a sign proclaiming 
two ice cream sodas for the price of one — 10 
cents — and consequently bought the two tickets. 
Another spent 69 cents for things she did not 
need, but because handkerchiefs could be had 
for 8 cents instead of 121/2 cents each, neck- 
wear for 25 cents instead of 35 cents, and fancy 
pins were reduced to 20 cents from 35 cents, and 
then believed she had saved just so much money. 
It is a fact that trifling sums spent for needless 
things Avill in a week amount to a sum total that 
mil furnish a wholesome meal for the family. 

It may be said that the things bought cheaply 
can be used, but it is also true that they could 
be done without in many cases. Of course, if 
such things are needed and can be bought at a 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 61 

bargain, needless to say it will be an economy 
to secure them. 

A good plan to break one's self from the habit 
of spending nickels and dimes needlessly is to 
put the sum aside one is tempted to spend and 
watch it amount up. In this way one has a fund 
to draw upon when things really needed are to 
be got at a bargain and the mone}'^ will never be 
missed. Also, there will probably be a sum 
worth while, so that one can lay in a stock of the 
needed article instead of purchasing one or two 
with the small available sum. There is an econ- 
omy in buying a stock. For instance, two pairs 
of stockings will not last nearly one-third the 
time six pairs will wear, and the same with lin- 
gerie, household linens and footwear. The ser- 
vice is greatly prolonged by keeping up a num- 
ber of these. 

If the young housekeeper will try this plan of 
saving the pennies I am sure she will never 
break the habit. It will be such a pleasure to 
kpow there is a little pest egg that can be spent 



62 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

without being missed. If there is nothing es- 
pecially to be bought, the sum would furnish 
the cost of a little outing or the table for a 
luncheon party, providing little luxuries which 
otherwise might have seemed extravagant. 
EFFICIENCY IN THE HOME. 

From the Evening Star, Ijy Mary Lee. 

"A very good friend of mine came in to see 
me to-day," said ^Irs. Happy Homemaker, ''and 
she was in a fine state of rage over a verbal 
duel she had with her latest domestic helper. 

''This woman is one of the most efficient 
housekeepers I know, and ordinarily has good 
luck in getting and keeping her girls. But mat 
rimony will invade the best regulated families, 
and changes must be made. 

"A new maid came, and after two weeks' resi- 
dence, announced that she was leaving. At 
first she would not tell the reasons, but upon 
being pressed said that she could not work in a 
place where the lady came and looked in her 
ice box every day, and then she was so ashamed 



HOUSEHOLD AVISDO:\r. 63 

of her garbage can — it was the einj^tiest on the 
street. 

''My friend attempted to explain her system 
of household management, which included con- 
stant care and no waste, but the girl was firm 
in her conviction that no real American lady 
ever bothered herself with these sordid details 
of housekeeping, and she preferred a home with 
the genuine article. 

' ' The idea of America, in the European peas- 
ant mind, is of a country literally flowing with 
milk and honey, whose prodigal people never 
count the cost and care not for waste. 

''The girls who go back on vacations after an 
American residence of a few years in the homes 
of some of our careless women look with scorn 
on the thrift and vigilance w^hich even the 
women of wealth exercise in running their homes 
in the old countries. 

" 'They don't do that way in America. You 
are never asked what you did with this or that 



U HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

in America. The ladies don't care how much 
you throw away in America. ' 

*'And the old girl coming back or the new 
one coming over is bitterly disappointed if by 
chance she finds herself in a home whose mis- 
tress regards homemaking and keeping as a real 
business and tries to perform her duties care- 
fully and skillfully. 

*'It is curious and somewhat discouraging the 
reception our efforts toward efficiency receive ; 
and I am afraid it will take years of patient 
endeavor before the reputation of the American 
housewife is established on that basis. 

"The American man is noted the world over 
for his business efficiency, and is lauded and hon- 
ored for it. But if the woman in the home plans 
her meals with regard to food values, she is 
thought ' fussy. ' If she aims to use the by-prod- 
ucts of her plant and so reduce expenses, she is 
thought 'stingy.' If she exercises constant and 
watchful care she is called 'hard to work for.' 

"What are we going to do?" 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. fif) 

Keep right on. We would-be home efficiency 
promoters might adopt as the device upon our 
flag an empty garbage pail. 

EGGS, TO TELL WHEN THEY ARE 
FRESH. 

Hold the egg between the eye and a bright 
light. A fresh egg shows a perfectly uniform 
rose colored tint, while if it is not fresh there 
will be numerous dark spots. In packed eggs 
there is a tendency for the white and yolk to 
slightly intermingle along the line of contact. 
Packed eggs also are liable to adhere to the 
shell on one side. If eggs have been in a nest 
for any length of time they are smooth and 
glossy and the appearance is entirely different 
from the dull, rough surface of fresh eggs. 

ENAMELED WHITE FURNITURE, TO 
CLEAN. 

To clean white enameled furniture, remove all 
dirty marks with a flannel dipped in methy- 
lated spirit. Then wash at once with tepid 



G6 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

water to wliicli has been added a little fine oat- 
meal. Never use soap or soda. 

ENAMELED KITCHEN WARE, TO KEEP 

CLEAN. 

To keep enameled kitchen ware clean, you 
must put it in a large vessel of cold water with 
a tablespoonful of lye added, and bring the 
water to the boiling point. Afterward wash the 
ware in the usual way. 

ENAMELED PRESERVING KETTLE THAT 
HAS BEEN BURNED. 

To save an enameled ware preserving kettle 
that has become burned, put a handful of ashes 
and some water in it and let it stand a feAV 
hours. This removes the scorched part. 

TO PREVENT FADING. 

To prevent the fading of ginghams, calicos 
and lawns, dissolve 5 cents' worth of sugar of 
lead in a pailful of lukewarm water. Put the 
goods into it and let stand for three or four 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 67 

hours. "Wring out, diy and press in tlie usual 
way. This process also shrinks the goods. 

FADING OF PINK, LAVENDER AND 
BLUE FABRICS. 

It is said that if pink, lavender and blue fab- 
rics are soaked for two hours in a pail of water 
to which one ounce of sugar of lead has been 
added, then dried before washing, the color will 
not fade. Green needs a little alum in the 
water. Dissolve about a teaspoonful of powder- 
ed alum, in a gallon of soft tepid water. Wet 
the fabric well with the solution and then wash 
in warm water. Never use hot water, and do 
not iLse soap. 

Oxgall will keep gray or brown from fading. 
Wlaen washing tan, brown, flax, buff or linen 
color, use hay water, which is made by pouring 
boiling water over a, handful of hay. For pur- 
ples and the brighter shades of green, put half 
a cupful of vinegar into the water. Rinsing 
must be quick and thorough where there is fear 
of a color fading; the quicker the laundering 



68 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

the better. If there is a delay in drying colored 
clothes, lay them in clear water, to which a little 
salt has been added, and do not use very hot 
starch, as hot starch tends to take out color. 
TO RESTORE FADED SILKS. 
To restore faded silks to their natural color, 
iinmerse them in soapsuds to which a little pearl 
ash has been added. 

TO TRANSFER FEATHERS. 

First, soap well the inside of the new case 
with a cake of soap only just barely moistened. 
Then sew the case up, leaving an opening just 
large enough to allow the feathers to pass in 
easily. Then open a space in the old case ex- 
actly the same size and sew the two together. 
The feathers can then be passed from the old case 
to the new one without any mess whatever. 
TO NOURISH A FERN. 

Put a couple of raw oysters under the dirt, 
close to the roots of a fern, and the plant will 
grow like magic. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 69 

TO CLEAN COLORED FIBER RUGS. 

To clean colored fiber rugs, use a solution of 
water borax and white soap, and then rinse with 
clear Avater. If there is blue in the rug, add 5 
cents' worth of muriatic acid to the rinse water 
to restore the color. 

TO CLEAN FINGER NAILS. 

One of the best acids for cleaning the finger- 
nails is lemon juice. A dessert spoonful of 
lemon juice in a cupful of warm soft water will 
loosen the cuticle of the nails and remove stains 
and discolorations. 

THE FIREPLACE. 

Anything that makes the fireside pleasanter is 
a real addition to the whole house, for the pleas- 
anter sort of sociability can be made to center 
around the fireside, just as it centers around 
the tea table. In fact, if your fireplace is so 
arranged that nearby there is a shelf of books, 
a table with newspapers and writing materials, 
a tea table with a kettle that may be set singing 



70 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

at the appointed hour and perhaps a bowl of 
blossoming bulbs or cut flowers in a vase, you 
are indeed fortunate — the possessor of much hap- 
piness. 

A proper accessory for the fireplace is a toast- 
ing fork. One can be had in brass with wide 
tines. The fork can be hung on a peg at the 
side of the fireplace when not in use, and it 
makes a truly decorative adjunct. 

A desirable fireside accessory is a chestnut 
roaster. This comes in brass and is in the form 
of a wide, shallow, rounded, perforated bowl 
on a long brass handle. The chestnuts in this 
are roasted over the flames or embers. A com- 
panion to this roaster might be a corn popper 
of a sort suitable to hang in the living room at 
the fireside. 

There must be a serviceable little brush with 
which to keep the hearth clean, and a shovel for 
coal or ashes and a pair of tongs of a kind that 
do not pinch the fingers easily, but that do grasp 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 71 

logs finnly and decidedly when you wish to 
have them. 

A fire lighter is helpful for the fireplace. The 
Cape Cod lighters consist of a can of brass in 
which kerosene is poured and a lighter (a por- 
ous clay bulb on a handle of brass) which is 
thrust into the kerosene and soaked there. This 
is then placed under the wood in the fireplace, 
and no paper is needed, as the lighter burns for 
a good many minutes — long enough to light the 
wood. 

FIREPROOF CLOTHING. 

Light, fluffy garments of children, as well as 
the heaviest textures worn by adults, can be 
made nearly fireproof. Each time the under- 
clothing and dresses of children are washed add 
a little ammonium phosphate. 
MUSLIN AND COTTON GOODS CAN BE 
RENDERED FIREPROOF. 

Muslin and cotton goods can be rendered fire- 
proof by putting an ounce of alum in the last 
rinsing water, or by putting it in the starch. 



72 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TO ERADICATE FLEAS. 

From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology. 

Every house where a pet dog or cat is kept 
may become seriously infested with fleas if the 
proper conditions of moisture and freedom from 
disturbance exist. Infestation, however, is not 
likely to occur if the (bare) floors can be fre- 
quently and thoroughly swept. When an out- 
break of fleas comes, however, the easiest remedy 
to apply is a free sprinkling of pyrethrum pow- 
der in the infested rooms. This failing, benzine 
may be tried, a thorough spraying of carpets 
and floors being undertaken, with the exercise 
of due precaution in seeing that no lights or 
fires are in the house at the time of the applica- 
tion, or for some hours afterwards. Finally, 
if the plague is not thus abated, all floor cover- 
ings must be removed and the floors washed 
with hot soapsuds. This is a useful precaution 
in any house which it is proposed to close for 
the summer, since even a thorough sweeping may 
leave behind some few flea eggs from which an 



, 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 73 

all-pervading swarm may develop before the 
house is reopened. 

FLEAS, TO TRAP. 
Mr. E. M. Ehrhorn, of San Francisco, gives 
the following remedy, which he states he ha^ 
tested and which his mother used with effect 
in South America. Fill a glass three-fourths 
with water, on top of which pour about an inch 
of olive oil, then place a night float (a little 
wick inserted in a cardboard disk or in a cork 
dish) in the center of the oil. Place the tum- 
bler in the center of a soup plate filled with 
strong soapsuds. The wick should be lighted 
at night on retiring, or may be used in any 
dark room. As 'the soup-plate-soapsuds trap 
is placed on the floor of the room it does not 
interfere with the sleeper, and the fleas which 
are on the floor are attracted to the light. For 
outbuildings, such a^ barns, etc., a large milk 
pan may be used, and instead of using olive oil 
and a glass, a stable lantern may be placed in 
the center of the pan, while instead of soapsuds 



74 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

a scum of kerosene may be put on the water in 
the milk pan. 

ENEMY OF FLIES. 

A confectioner's shop was quite free of flies, 
though all the cakes and sweetmeats were un- 
covered. ''That mignonette," said the shop- 
keeper, "is what keeps the flies away. The 
odor is so unpleasant to flies that they won't 
come near us." It is a good idea. One sprig 
of mignonette in your window will keep it free 
of flies. 

SPOTS ON THE FLOOR. 

Are grease spots on your kitchen floor? 
Water with any amount of scrubbing will not 
remove them; just trj^ alcohol to remove these 
same spots, and you will be pleased with the 
results. 

FLOOE POLISH, TO MAKE. 

Polishing floors, especially the spaces the rugs 
do not cover, is the task that occupies most of the 
attention on ''sweeping days," and a good floor 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 75 

polish is appreciated. A very useful one is 
made by taking two oiuices of white and yellow 
wax, an ounce of shaved white soap and a quart 
of boiling water. 

Stir the soap and wax together in the sauce- 
pan over the fire and melt them, adding the boil- 
ing water while doing this. Mix by stirring 
and pour into a jar or bottle until wanted for 
use. Some people prefer turpentine in this mix- 
ture and add half a pint to it after taking it 
from the fire, but it is not necessary. 

It should be applied with a woolen rag or a 
piece of flannel, and then rub the floor with 
another flannel and polish well until all stick- 
iness is removed. 

FLOWER SYMBOLS. 

Anemone Frailty 

Apple Blossom Preference 

Buttercups Riches 

Calla Magnificent Beauty 

Candytuft Indifference 



76 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

Cowslip Youthful Beauty 

Daffodil -_ Unrequited Love 

Dandelion Coquetry 

Forget-me-not True Love 

Foxglove Insincerity 

Geranium Deceit 

Gentian Virgin Pride 

Goldenrod Encouragement 

Heliotrope Devotion 

Honeysuckle Fidelity 

Hyacinth Sorrow 

Lilac Fastidiousness 

Lily Purity 

Marigold Contempt 

Narcissus Self Love 

Pansy Thoughts 

Poppy Oblivion 

Rose, single I love you 

Rose, bride Happy Love 

Moss rosebud Confession of love 

Snowdrop Friend in need 

Sweet William Gallantry 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 77 

White Violet Modesty 

Oak Patriot's crown 

Bay Poet's crown 

Myrtle Beauty's crown 

Olive Token of peace 

Ivy Wreath of Bacchus 

TO MAKE FLY PAPERS. 

To make fly papers, boil linseed oil with a 
little rosin till it forms a stringy paste when 
cold. Spread this on paper, using a large brush. 
This is inexpensive, and makes one of the best 
traps for flies. 

FORCING GARDEN SEEDS. 

Sow as usual, then cover with a single sheet 
of newspaper, held firm by stones at each cor- 
ner. Wet this paper thoroughly three or four 
times a day while the sun is shining. Remove 
the paper after three days or sooner if any seed 
sprouts show. 

FRAGRANT BEADS. 

If you should happen to be standing near 



78 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

some dainty girl and become aware of a deli- 
cate, spicy odor, look to see if she is wearing a 
necklace of brown ''beads." The type of bead 
throwing off this fragrance is an unpolished 
affair; its dulled surface suggests some peculiar 
wood from Arabia ; the uneven sizes of the beads 
suggest that they may be handwrought; the 
color is a charming brown, offset by two or three 
cut "gold" beads (such as are used on slippers 
and for dress adornment) between each. If you 
should ask the wearer where she procured this 
necklace, she would tell you "Out of the spice 
box," for the beads are either whole allspice or 
clove "balls," as the choice may be. The spices 
are soaked in water vmtil tender enough to pierce 
with a needle ; then they are strung on a strong 
linen thread, with the gold beads between, and 
then permitted to dry. They retain their fra- 
grant odors indefinitely. 

TO FROST A BATHROOM WINDOW. 
To frost a bathroom window, dissolve Epsom 
salts in vinegar, making as strong a solution as 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 79 

possible. Apply this to the inside of the window 
panes with a brush and when dry give it a coat 
of Avhite varnish. 

GUARD AGAINST FROST. 

You can save some of your late autumn flow- 
ers from the frost. When frost is predicted, 
or when your own weather lore makes it ap- 
parent to you that frost is coming, sally into 
your garden at dusk to see what you can do. 

If the night is crisp, clear and quiet frost 
is more likely to come than if it is moist and 
dull, though equally cold. Sometimes a spray- 
ing hose will ward off frost ; but easier to arrange 
for are newspaper or canvas coverings fasten- 
ed loosely about the flowers you want to save. 
FUNNEL, HOMEMADE. 

Often we need a small funnel and there is 
none available, so try this for such an emer- 
gency : Make a small hole in the end of an egg- 
shell and pour the liquid through this into the 
bottle. 



80 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

FURNITURE POLISH, TO MAKE. 

Take eight ounces of alcohol, eight ounces of 
raw linseed oil, half ounce of balsam fir, half 
ounce of acetic ether. 

Dissolve the fir in the alcohol and add the 
other ingredients. 

Use a soft flannel cloth and do not be too gen- 
erous; a little of any good thing goes a long 
ways, and if the cloth is damp, not wet, it polish- 
es better. 

If the furniture is oiled (not varnished) rub 
it with a soft flannel cloth wrung out of kero- 
sene oil and it ^^nll look bright and new. 
POLISH FOR HIGHLY POLISHED 
SURFACES. 

Highly polished surfaces and automobile 
bodies are much benefited by a polish made of 
boiled olive oil to which a few drops of vinegar 
have been added. Apply in moderate quanti- 
ties and rub with a soft flannel cloth to a luster. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 81 

FOR WHITE SPOTS ON FURNITURE. 

Hold a hot stove lid over the spots and they 
will soon disappear. They can also be removed 
by applying spirits of camphor or ammonia. 
CARE OF FURS. 

If your furs are worth wearing they are worth 
caring for. Here are some ways to care for furs 
so that their beauty is preserved and their life 
prolonged. 

In spite of the fact that fur-bearing animals 
go abroad in wet weather and wear their coats 
after the beginning of warm w^eather, the two 
things most harmful to the furs we wear are 
moisture and the bright sun of spring. 

So one thing to remember in the care of furs 
is not to get them wet, if possible. Chinchilla, 
especially, is ruined by dampness, so never wear 
that when it rains or snows. And be as careful 
as possible to keep other furs dry. 

If you do get them wet, dry them in a cool, 
dry room, not before any intense heat. 



/ 



82 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

The curl comes out of Persian lamb when it 
is wet; dry it very slowly to restore the curl. 

TO CLEAN FURS. 
To clean furs heat flour or bran in the oven 
and rub this into the fur. Leave it there an 
hour or two, then shake it out thoroughly. 

WHEN TO PUT AWAY FURS. 

Put your fui-s away as early as possible in 
the spring. There will be less danger of moths 
and they will miss the spring heat and sun if 
they are put away. 

TO CLEAN GILT FRAIMES. 

Pour a few drops of ammonia on a piece of 
bread not over a day old. and rub the frame 
carefully with it. If the bread is very fresh 
it will clean without the ammonia, but the am- 
monia makes the effect more lasting. 

TO RENOVATE GILT FRAMES. 

Gilt frames wliieh have become dusty and 
fly specked can be renovated by a carefid dust- 
ing, followed by a washing with one ounce of 
soda, beaten up with the white of three eggs. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 83 

TO WASH GILT ORNAMENTS. 

To clean gilt ornaments, wash them in a lather 
with a soft brush ; rinse well and dry. 
GILT WRITING. 

When making Christmas booklets, cards, etc., 
instead of trying to trace gold letters with a 
brush, first draw the outline with a hard pen- 
cil, which leaves a delicate line. Now fill in 
the design with a weak solution of mucilage or 
dissolved gum arable, and while still moist cover 
with gold dust. Do not shake the paper free 
of dust until the glue dries. Then brush off 
the dust. To get a pretty design, such as end 
pieces for narrow pictures, look through your 
magazines and select pretty scrolls, designs, min- 
iature pictures, etc. Cut out a picture and 
place carbon paper between it and the cardboard 
to get the perfect outline in tracing the pattern/ 
then decorate with gold or a watercolor. 



84 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

GLASS, TO LOOK LIKE CRYSTAL. 

If you wash common glasses with black tea 
leaves they will look like crystal. 

GLASS, TO BRIGHTEN. 
A few dops of ammonia in dish-water will 
brighten glass and silver. 

TO CLEAN DINGY GLASS. 

To clean dingy glass, wash it with warm wa- 
ter and sal soda. Dry and then brighten with 
salt water. 

IF TWO GLASS DISHES OR TUMBLERS 

STICK TOGETHER. 

If two glass dishes or tumblers stick together 

very tightly, try filling the inner one with cold 

water and holding the outer one in warm water. 

They will separate at once. 

TO PREVENT GLASS DISHES FROM 
CRACKING. 

To prevent a glass dish from cracking when 
pouring a hot mixture, place the dish on a hot ' 
cloth. * I 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 85 

GLASS DISHES, NOT TO CRACK, NO. 2. 

A silver spoon placed in the fine glass dish 
\^dll keep it from breaking when you want to 
pour a hot dessert into it. 

TO MAKE ANY KIND OF GLASSWARE 
SPARKLE LIKE CUT GLASS. 

To make any kind of glassware sparkle like 
cut glass, brush it well w^ith lukewarm water and 
soapsuds. Wash off the soap and then dip the 
glass into hot water into which a little clothes 
bluing has been dissolved. Do not dry with a 
cloth, but allow to stand until dry. 

IF A GLASS STOPPER IS HARD TO 
REMOVE. 

Tf a glass stopper is hard to remove, dip a 
cloth in boiling water, and while it is hot, wrap 
it around the neck of the bottle. It will expand 
the glass and free the stopper. A lighted match 
can be used to heat the bottle in the same 
manner. 



86 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TO CLEAN GLOVES. 

Take a clean piece of flannel, a little milk and 
a cake of white soap. Pour a little of the milk 
into a saucer, dip the flannel into it, then rub it 
well onto the soap ; then dip it into the milk 
again. Rub the gloves in one direction only and 
change the flannel as it gets dirty. This proces.s 
will not only clean white kid gloA^es, but also 
any white kid article. It leaves the leather soft, 
pliable and glosvsy. 

WHEN MENDING A GLOVE. 

When mending a glove, if you put your finger 
into a thimble and then into the glove you will 
find mending quite an easy task; especially if 
the hole occurs at a seam, it is an easy matter to 
keep the thimble firmly under the hole. This 
l)lan prevents pricking the fingers, and a much 
neater darn will result. 

CARE OF DELICATE GLOVES. 
In the little matter of taking off gloves there 
is a right and a wrong way. The right way is 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 87 

to turn the wrists back over the hand and pull 
them off wrong side out. If they are in the 
least dampened by the moisture from the hand, 
leave them a few moments to dry out, but be- 
fore doing this gently stretch them lengthwise 
from the tip to the palm, to the original shape. 
When dry, scan them carefully for the faintest 
giving Avay of a thread. A stitch in time saves a 
whole finger end in the case of gloves. The 
stitch should be taken with fine glove thread 
the exact shade of the gloves, using a fine 
needle and sewing on the right side. Then, 
after dusting them lightly with powder if still 
damp, lay them neatly in a glove box, keeping 
light pairs folded in tissue paper and in recep- 
tacles long enough to permit their being laid 
at full length. 

CARE OF GOLDFISH. 

A globe of two or three goldfish with a bit of 
green seaweed makes a pretty centerpiece, and 
they are inexpensive and easily cared for. They 
should be placed at some distance from stove 



88 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

and register and not in the rays of the sun. 
They endure extremes of cold rather than heat. 
In the bottom of the globe place some small 
stones, a bit of sand, a little charcoal and a spray 
of cabomba, a fine water plant. Feed them a 
little at a time. Once in two weeks remove them 
to a pail of muddy water for an hour, clean the 
globe, replace the shells, stones, etc., and refill 
with clear, cold water. 

TO CLEAN GOLD CHAINS. 
To clean gold chains, put them in a small 
glass bottle Avith warm soapsuds and a little pre- 
pared chalk. Shake until clean, then rinse in 
clean, warm water. 

TO CLEAN GOLD OR SILVER JEWELRY. 

One teaspoonful of ammonia to a quart of 
Avater will clean gold or silver jewelry. 
TO WASH GREASY UTENSILS. 

It is a good plan to wipe out all greasy uten- 
sils with a piece of soft paper before washing. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOIM. 89 

This simplifies the washing process. Destroy 
the paper immediately. 
THE PRETTIEST KIND OF GREENERY 
FOR THE DINING ROOM TABLE. 

The prettiest kind of greenery for the dining 
room table is m-ade by planting the seeds of 
grape fruit and sowing them thickly. In a 
short time the tiny shoots appear and the leaves 
begin to unfold, and soon there is a mass of rich, 
glossy green, which is not affected by heat, as 
so many delicate ferns are. It is pretty, inex- 
pensive and "wdll outlast a dozen ordinary ferns. 
GUEST CHAMBER OUTFIT. 

Every guest chamber should have its bedside 
set of tiny pitcher and drinking glass, perfectly 
covered, and candlestick and match box. 

HAIR BRUSHES, TO KEEP CLEAN. 

The necessary frequent washing of hair brush- 
es in order to keep them clean softens the bris- 
tles. To prevent this, dip them in a strong solu- 
tion of alum water immediately after washing. 



90 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

This alum water can be bottled and kept on 
hand for several occasions — it is clean, for the 
brushes are thoroughly washed before being dip- 
ped into it. 

HANDY i\IOP. 

From a piece of doubled outing cloth cut two 
circular pieces seven inches in diameter. In the 
jniddle of these cut a circle seven-eighths of an 
inch in diameter. Clip the edges, turn in and 
overcast. Sew to the outer edges a scant seven- 
inch ruffle, and a four-inch ruffle to this. Slip 
over the handle of an old broom which has been 
clipped up close, and yon will have a mop supe- 
rior to many you have used. It is easy to keep 
clean, as it may be easily removed and washed. 
HANDY TRAY. 

A cheese-box cover with part of a barrel hoop 
for a handle makes a very convenient tray for 
carrying several dishes of food to or from the 
cellar, from kitchen to dining room, etc., or for 
bringing vegetables from the cellar or garden. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 91 

A coat of enamel paint makes the tray easy to 
keep clean and fresh looking. 

HINTS ON SAVING. 

Much might he written in the way of house- 
keeping suggestion on the ' ' extravagance of sav- 
ing. " 

The typical New England housew^ife of olden 
time, being taught from girlhood to save, saved 
everything, and it is concerning this wasteful 
saving that a few hints are pertinent. 

One housekeeper of this class saved every 
saucer that belonged to i\ broken cup, and it 
required eventually a week's absence and the 
courage of the entire family to throw away a 
pile of useless saucers of varying patterns and 
sizes that had stood on the shelves for years 
occupying valuable space and demanding the 
constant use of the duster. 

Here are a few '^don'ts" which the house- 
wife will find worthy of adoption : 

Don't save all your paper and string. 

Don't save too' many paper boxes. 



92 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

Don't have the kitchen table drawer littered 
with paper bags; you might use one but you 
can't use a dozen. 

Don't save too much dry bread. Keep a sup- 
ply of bread crumbs, but the chances are that 
you will not use all your stale bread for bread 
pudding. 

Don 't save many bottles ; the amount of space 
they occupy is not compensated for by the 
amount of money you receive if you sell them. 

Don't save cracked or mutilated dishes. 

Don't save dirty rags. It does not pay to 
wash them out. 

Don't save opened bottles of liquids without 
going over them to see if they still are good ; 
many lose strength or spoil after they are open- 
ed. The too careful housewife is apt to clutter 
her shelves w^ith iodine that has growTi too 
strong, oil that has become rancid, or furniture 
polish that is merely dregs. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 93 

HOOKS, WHEN SCEEWED IN HARD 
WOOD. 

Use a clothespin to screw a small hook into 
hardwood. It Avill make it much easier than if 
the fingers are used. 

ICE BOX PIPED OUT OF DOORS. 

If you live on the first floor, have your ice 
box piped out of doors and save wet floors. 

ICE ECONOMY. 

If you want to economize ice when making ice 
cream after the ice and salt are in the freezer, 
press pieces of newspaper around the top closely 
and cover all with a heavy gunny sack, or ice 
bag if you have' one. Turn the crank a few 
times and let it stand ten or fifteen minutes. 
It will then freeze with about five minutes' turn- 
ing. The newspapers, being non-conductors, 
keep all of the cold in and make it unneces- 
sary to add ice continually. Ice cream can be 
frozen in this way in about half the time, and 
with just half the ice. 



94 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

JARS WITH SMALL NECKS, TO CLEAN. 

Immense jars with small necks, such as are 
used for holding flowers, may be cleaned by 
pouring hot vinegar into them. Cover the jars 
and alloAV the vinegar to cool. It removes the 
peculiar odor arising from decayed stems. 

TO SAVE INCANDESCENT MANTLES. 

To save incandescent mantles, when lighting, 
turn on the gas for a second before applying 
the match ; then hold the match about two inches 
from the top of the chimney. This treatment 
Avill cause the mantle to last much longer. 

TO REMOVE INK STAINS FROM BOOKS. 

Diluted oxalic or tartaric acid will remove 
ink stains from books without injuring the print. 

TO REMOVE INK FROM THE HANDS, 

No. 1. 
To remove fresh ink stains from the hands, 
moisten the phosphorus end of a match and rub 
the stain on the finger with it ; or put a few 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 95 

drops of oxalic acid in the water used in wash- 
ing off the stain. 

TO REJMOVE INK FROM THE HANDS, 
No: 2. 

To remove ink from the hands, Avet a sponge 
with spirits of hartshorn or ammonia and wash 
the stains vigorously. Rinse at once in clear 
water, as soap sets in ink and other acid stains. 
TO REMOVE INK SPOTS FROM MARBLE. 

To remove ink spots from marble, mix well 
equal parts of spirits of vitriol and lemon juice, 
wet the spots and in a few minutes rub with a 
soft cloth and then wash. 

INK ON SILVER. 

Ink stains on silver or plated articles may be 
removed with a paste made of chloride of lime 
and water. This should be left on for a little 
while and then washed off in warm water. 
INK SPOTS ON WHITE GOODS. 

Ink spots may be removed from white or light- 
colored goods by saturating the spots first with 



06 HOUSEHOLD WISDOIM. 

milk and then with turpentine." Roll the cloth 
up for about half an hour, after which wash out 
in clear water and you will find that the spots 
have disappeared. 

IF YOU SPILL INK ON THE CARPET. 

If you spill ink on the carpet, put salt on it 
immediately ; it will help remove the spot. 
TO REMOVE INK STAINS FROM CLOTH. 

To remove ink stains from cloth or any ab- 
sorbent substance, dissolve four ounces of citric 
acid in two quarts of water that has been pre- 
viously boiled and cooled. Then add six to 
eight ounces of a strong, strained solution of 
borax. 

TO CLEAN AN IRON BED. 

A tablespoonful of turpentine in a cup of 
milk makes the best mixture for cleaning an 
iron bed. Apply with a piece of cheesecloth 
and polish with flannel. 

TO REMOVE IRON MOLD. 

To remove iron mold, wet the spot, lay it over 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 97 

a hot- water plate, put a little salts of lemon on 
tiie spot and then wash it as soon as the stain 
is removed. 

IRON RUST, TO REMOVE. 

Iron rust — Same as for ink stains. Wet in 
boiling water, cover thickly with salt, lay in sun- 
shine over a bright tin plate, squeeze on lemon 
juice, wash in hot water. 

IRON RUST ON DAINTIEST OF FABRICS. 

To remove iron rust from, the daintiest fabric 
without causing injury, mix cream of tartar 
with water until it forms a paste, wet the spot 
and spread on the paste ; hang the article in the 
sun, and as fast as it dries wet again until the 
rust disappears. 

IRON RUST IS DIFFICULT TO REMOVE 
FROM IRON. 

Iron rust is difficult to remove from iron, and 
a good thing to do is to make the iron rust proof. 
To do this, heat until it is very hot (almost red) 
and then brush it with linseed oil. This forms 



98 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

a sort of varnish that protects the iron and does 
not chip off easily. This treatment is good for 
andirons. 

EESTORE NATURAL COLOR TO IVORY 
KNIFE HANDLES. 

To restore their natural color to ivory knife 
handles that have turned yellow, rub them with 
turpentine. 

TO KEEP EGGS. 

Place two inches of wood ashes in the bottom 
of a tin pail. In this stand on the small end 
as many fresh eggs as you can easily without 
letting them touch. Sift over them two inches 
of ashes and adjust another layer of eggs. 
When the pail is full cover it tight, and place 
it in a cool cellar. Eggs treated this way are 
said to keep perfectly all winter. 

No. 1.— KEEPING FLOWERS FRESH. 

The only drawback to cut flowers is that they 
wither so quickly, and in keeping them fresh 
some seem to. have more luck than others. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 99 

For instance, in the matter of violets, it is 
possible to wear them several times without no- 
ticing the overpowering stale odor which pro- 
claims them beyond redemption. 

Of course, many people find that they can not 
wear cut flowers even for one afternoon, be- 
cause in some cases the body heat seem^s to wilt 
them, but if this can be avoided it is quite pos- 
sible to find a bunch almost as fresh the second 
day as on the first if they were properly guarded 
overnight. 

Keep the box that they came in and when you 
take them off hold the stems under running 
water for a few minutes, taking care not to wet 
the violets themselves. 

Then ^\Tap them up in the oiled paper and 
put them back in the covered box outside the 
window if it is cool; if not, in the refrigerator, 
but in either case keep them wrapped. 

This treatment seems to restore the flowers 
*and hold in the delicious odor which so soon 



100 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

becomes rank if they are kept unwrapped in a 
close room. 

Some people think a pinch of salt in the water 
will keep cut flowers fresh longer, and so it does 
in some cases. In others it seems to change the 
colors a little. AVith roses it is successful, but 
not so much so with violets. A piece of gum 
camphor is said to be an excellent preservative 
in the water, and others advocate a small lump 
of charcoal, but in any case the water should be 
changed daily and the flowers put in a cool 
place overnight. 

No. 2.— KEEPING CUT FLOWERS. 

If you would keep cut flowers fresh for a long 
time, keep their stems in damp sand instead of 
Avater. The wet sand holds the flowers grace- 
fully and firmly, and keeps them pretty much 
in the positions in which they were arranged. 

TO KEEP SILK AND LACE WHITE. 

When packing white lace or white silk waists, 
if you Avish them to remain perfectly white, 






HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 101 

wrap tliem in light blue cheesecloth or tissue 
paper and place in a box. This has been proven 
a successful method. 

THP] ODOR OF KEROSENP] LAMPS CAN 
BE STOPPED. 
TJie odor of kerosene lamps can be stopped 
by putting one teaspoonful of fine table salt 
into each lamp. The salt should be changed 
once a month. 

TO INSURE KEROSENE LAMPS GIVING 
A CLEAR AND BRIGHT LIGHT. 

To insure kerosene lamps giving a clear and 
bright light, boil the interior parts of the lamj) 
in vinegar and soda at least once in two weeks*. 
ABOUT KID GLOVES. 

It is well to powder the inside of new gloves 
before wearing them. It makes them easier to 
slip on. It also prevents the dye of colored 
ones from staining the hands. 

KITCHEN FLOOR COVERING. 

Linoleum is the best kitchen floor covering, 



102 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

but painted rag and cotton carpets may be scrub- 
bed the same as an oilcloth. Even burlap may 
be used. The floor is first covered with paper 
and then an old carpet, clean and whole, or 
double burlap, is tacked in place. A sizing of 
glue water is ajiplied and allowed to dry. It 
must then be painted with ocher or a filling 
paint, and then a dry floor paint should be 
applied. A carpet so treated will last for years, 
and may be painted over and over again and 
scrubbed weekly. 

ARRANGING A KITCHENETTE. 

When arranging these little dollbaby cooking 
places one should condense arrangements in 
every possible manner. If a closet with a win- 
dow is used, all the better, as the opening will 
provide draft for smells and the closet can be 
got up a good deal in regular kitchen manner. 
There could be the white paint that cleans so 
easily, a red brick linoleum and white enameled 
shelves set with an array of cooking vessels and 
attractive crock'ery utensils for holding the 



tl 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 103 

things of the iarder. If much cooking goes on 
an icebox is indispensable, and the portable 
nursery ones are just the sort to get, as these 
are very small, although generous enough for 
the use of tvro persons. 

A coffee pot, three earthenware casseroles, a 
double boiler, two saucepans and two of the 
little French plates or frying pans are enough 
furnishings for a modest closet kitchenette. If 
the householders are tea drinkers, the tea table, 
with all the apparatus used, could stand in the 
living room and so leave still more space in the 
kitchenette. 

These little makeshift kitchens, which women 
of domestic tastes have caused to be introduced 
into the smartest apartments, are the inspira- 
tion for wonderful inventions in the way of 
cooking conveniences. One is a baker which 
seems to have been devised at the first period 
of the metal age — a simple perforated tin 
plaque, lined with something or other, and top- 
ped vrith a heavy tin cover in one piece. On 



104 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

this minute thing almost anj^thing small enough 
to go under the cover can be baked to a T, 
potatoes especially well. xVn omelet pan, fold- 
ing at the center so that the goody itself does 
not have to be turned, a glass coffee grinder and 
pepper and salt casters with two and three 
bottles are among the other handy things. 

Business women are given to putting their 
kitchenettes in odd places, in bureau draw^ers, 
washstands, in the space a door between rooms 
sometimes gives, and so on. But if the little 
space used is fitted up compactly and kept neat- 
ly it may be anywhere. One thing is certain — 
the kitchenette adds to the joy of life. It is, 
above all, the cure open to the woman away 
from home for homesickness and folly. But one 
must learn to cook, of course. 

TO SHARPEN A KNIFE QUICKLY. 
A strip of emery cloth tacked to a small 
square board will be found useful for quickly 
sharpening the carving Imife. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 105 

HOW TO KNIT SOCKS. 

The art of knitting socks was almost forgotten 
when the demand for hea\y woolen socks for 
the European soldiers set women to work at 
this old-fashioned industry. Many have been 
the requests for directions for making regula- 
tion socks from women who are not content 
merely to knit or crochet simple mufflers and 
wristlets. 

The following rule comes from an autliority 
on knitting. It calls for needles No. 13 : 

Cast on twenty-four stitches on each of three 
needles. Rib three inches, knit six inches plain 
with one purl stitch in center back. Narrow 
one stitch on each side of center purl stitch on 
back needle ; knit six rows, narrow one stitch 
on each side of center purl stitch ; Imit three 
rows. For heel, put half the whole number of 
stitches now on three needles on the purl seam 
needle, knit three inches plain, then when on 
seam side, purl until three stitches past the seam 
stitch ; knit fourth and fifth together. Purl one, 



106 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

turn slip one, knit back plain until the third 
past the seam stitch, narrow, one plain, turn and 
continue, having each narrowing one stitch fur- 
ther from the seam stitch until there are no more 
left to take in. Take up the stitches on each 
side of heel and knit the foot, narrowing one 
stitch on each side needle just before you go on 
to front needle, till you have seventy-two stiches 
on your three needles. I\Iake the foot nine inches 
long before you narrow for toe. Toe — Narrow 
every sixth stitch knit four rows, narrow every 
fifth stitch. Knit four roAvs, narrow every fourth 
stitch ; knit four rows, narrow every third stitch ; 
knit three rows, narrow every second stitch ; knit 
two rows, narrow every stitch, bind off and sew 
up. 

IP THE KNOB HAS COME OFF THE 
KETTLE. 

If the knob has come off the kettle, take a 
cork, put a screw through it, push the screw 
through the lid of the kettle and screw a bur on 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 107 

the end. You have a knob that will not come 
off nor get hot. 

LABOR SAVING SCHEMES. 

From the Evening Star, by Mary Lee. 

I have heard women discuss labor-saving and 
efficiency schemes by the hour, and then go 
straight home and into their kitchens and pro- 
ceed to beat up an egg with a fork or chop meat 
with a bowl and chopper or mix bread with a 
bowl and spoon in the time-honored way used 
by their grandmothers. 

We seldom seem to consider that a good ma- 
chine will save time, human energy and nerves 
just as efficiently in the home as in the factory 
or office. 

A good workman is known by his tools, they 
say. He selects them carefully, after trying 
various types and patterns, and when the col- 
lection is complete, they represent his individ- 
uality and intelligence, and he values them ac- 
cordingly. 

How many housewives pursue the same plan ? 



108 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

I have seen women drudging along with inad- 
equate or poorly constructed utensils and heard 
them complain what wearing, weary work house- 
work is. 

It would have taken several hundred years of 
wearing, weary work if General Goethals had 
elected to disregard, steam shovels and dig the 
canal with a wheelbarrow and spade. 

Take the question of Imives, for instance. 
What is more irritating than to be always hack- 
ing at things with a dull, rusty knife! A poor 
quality of steel refuses to take a keen edge. 
Therefore never economize on knives ; if you can 
only afford one good one have it of the best 
steel ; get a good sharpener and keep the edge 
keen and scour into brightness after each using. 

Some cooks complain that the meat grinder 
is so hard to clean that they won't bother with 
it. Let them consider the niunber of motions 
and the amomit of energy required to chop a 
bowl of meat in the old way, to say nothing of 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 109 

the time, and compare that with the work it is 
to wash the grinder. 

The good bread mixer is another useful ma- 
chine which we too often disregard. 

It savas strength, and there is no comparison 
between the hand and machine method so far 
as the sanitation is concerned. 

With a bread mixer in every home perhaps 
the day of "bakers' bread" would be over, and 
the delicious aroma of the fresh, golden-brown 
loaves would again pervade the house on baking 
days. 

TO KEEP LACE CREAM COLORED. 

Those who want to keep laces the same deli- 
cate cream color as when bought will be glad to 
learn how it is done. After careful washing and 
rinsing have ready the following: Beat an egg 
to a froth, add one quart or less of cold water, 
according to the tint required. Place the lace 
in this and move it gently through the egg 
water several times. Then squeeze gently and 
hang in the shade to dry. When about half 



110 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

dry, put between two cloths and iron. No 
starching is needed if these directions are fol- 
lowed. This is a secret given by an old pillow 
lace worker. 

TO MAKE LACE YOKES LIKE NEW. 

Apply a white paste such as is used for clean- 
ing white shoes. Rub the paste on smoothly, 
let it dry and then brush it off. 

TO BRIGHTEN DISCOLORED LAMP 
BURNERS. 

To brighten discolored lamp burners, boil them 
in water in which dried beans have been par- 
boiled. Or, boil in a strong solution of washing 
soda. 

IF A LAMP IS UPSET AND THE OIL 
TAKES FIRE. 

If a lamp is upset and the oil takes fire, throw 
flour on it. Water is worse than nothing. A 
rug or quilt may smother it out. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. Ill 

TO PUT A NEW A¥ICK IN ANY LAMP 
BURNER. 

To put a new wick in any lamp burner quick- 
ly, thread a needle first, run the thread across 
the wick and pass needle through burner. 



Laundry Suggestions. 



BLANKETS, HOW TO WASH. 
Blankets should be washed through three wa- 
ters, warm, not hot. The first should have 
strong, very strong, soapsuds; the second less 
soap, and the third just enough soap to make 
the water appear milky. They should then be 
wrung slightly, thro^\Ti over the line and then 
pulled straight. If they should not be dry when 
evening comes, fold them and put them in a 
washbasket and hang again in the sun the fol- 
lowing day, and the day thereafter, if neces- 
sary, until they are perfectly dry. 

BLEACHING CLOTHES. 

One of the best bleaching agents known is 
peroxide of hydrogen, and if a teaspoonful is 
added to half a tub of the water in which white 
clothes are rinsed the result will be an agreeable 
surprise. It gives a pure white color without 

X12 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 113 

any damage to the fabric. This may be applied 
to silk and wool as well as linen. In handling 
the peroxide it is well to remember not to pour 
it on metal; pour it directly from the bottle 
into the water. It is not difficult to estimate 
the amount. 

A CAxMP STOOL TO HOLD THE (JLOTHES 
BASKET. 

A camp stool to hold the clothes basket is a 
convenience on wash day. It is light, easily 
carried about, and when not in iLse takes up 
little room. In hanging out the clothes and 
taking them from the line, the stool saves stoop- 
ing and keeps the bottom of the basket clean. 

DELICATE FABRIC, STARCHING. 

For ver}^ delicate fabric, which will not take 
starch, try sugar in the rinsing water. 
FOLDING TABLECLOTH. 

Instead of always folding tablecloths and 
sheets lengthwise, it is an excellent plan to some- 
times fold them the other way, as they are less 



in LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

likely to wear out if the folds are occasionally 
changed. 

DOING UP GLAZED COLLARS. 

First see that the collars and cuffs are quite 
dry after washing before attempting to starch 
them. Place them in a clean, dry towel and 
have ready a basin of well made cold water 
starch. Mix the starch up well from the bottom, 
lay in as many collars as the starch will easily 
cover at one time and let the starch soak well 
through them. Squeeze them with the hands in 
the starch, then wring as dry as possible. Draw 
them out straight and lay smoothly on a towel, 
but do not put one on top of the other; roll 
each one separately between the towel. Leave 
for half an hour before ironing, but do not let 
them get too dry. 

When ready to iron, spread wrong side upper- 
most and iron first one side and then the other. 
Iron slowly at first, then more and more quickly 
until there is a glossy surface and the collar is 
dry. The right side naturally requires the most 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 115 

ironing, but the wrong side must be ironed 
quite smooth. Lift the collar occasionally when 
ironing to let the steam escape and dry the sheet 
under it with the iron. A teaspoonful of pow- 
dered borax in cold starch will give an added 
stiffness to linen. 
AVASHING COLORED HANDKERCHIEF. 

Colored handkerchiefs should be soaked in cold 
water for a short time before they are washed. 
This will prevent the colors from running or 
fading. 

HANDKERCHIEF HINTS. 

Put a large-sized piece of orris root into the 
water in which the handkerchiefs are washed. 
After ironing they will be dainty with orris. 
Then place them between the folds of a sachet 
filled with violet powder and they will not lose 
their fragrance. Violet and orris together make 
a real violet scent. To iron without a fire, place 
the handkerchief between two pieces of white 
blotting paper and place a heavy weight over it. 



11(3 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

HINTS FOR THE HOME LAUNDRESS. 

Now when we are beginning to think of wash- 
ing out the summer blankets and putting them 
away for the winter. 

Here is a suggestion from a woman whose 
fluffy blankets are a delight: Wash out your 
l)lankets in tlie suds of some good, pure soap ; 
when they are thoroughly clean, change the 
water and rinse the blanket in water filled with 
clean soap suds, do not rinse them again in fresh 
water, but hang them out, as they are, and they 
will be white and fluffy Avhen dried. 

The cotton corduroys that are so attractive 
for early autumn suitings should always be 
shrunk before they are made up. If this is done 
they will wash without shrinking, and may be 
dried without ironing. 

Stockings should be turned inside out when • 
they are put with the general laundry to avoid 
the lint from the other clothes. It is better, 
however, to wash the stockings separately, as, 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 117 

unless the dyes are good, they are apt to run and 
stain the light clothes. 

If this should happen the stocking dye may 
be removed from the white garments if they are 
taken out and boiled immediately. 

Silk stockings and shirts should never be 
ironed, as the heat is apt to crack and rot the 
silk. 

If you wish to dry and iron a blouse in a few 
minutes, wring it thoroughly and then wrap 
it in a dry towel and twist the ends in the op- 
posite direction; this will ^\Ting the water out 
so that the blouse will be sufficiently dry to iron 
immediately. 

HOME LAUNDERING. 

Have clean hot irons with paraffin at hand 
to keep them smooth and clean, a steady fire 
and an ironing lx)ard covered with several thick- 
nesses of cloth (the top cover is stretched smooth 
and creaseless), a small brush for sprinkling the 
clothes with and a clean rack ready to hang 
the freshl}^ ironed pieces upon. Iron embroid- 



118 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

ery wet and over several thicknesses of flannel, 
ironing it on the wrong side, so that the pattern 
stands out and smooth. Ironing them until they 
are perfectly dry is one secret of successful 
work. 

Damask and linens must be evenly sprinkled 
before ironing. Hems are ironed straight. Lace 
is not ironed at all, but manipulated between the 
fingers as daintily as if One was working with 
cobwebs. Fold so that initials and monograms 
show. 

IDEAL LAUNDRY CONTAINER. 

A laundry chute is perhaps the ideal con- 
tainer for soiled wearing apparel and household 
linens. That is to say, the chute is the ideal 
means of conveying the laundry to its ultimate 
container in the laundry. But many houses 
have no laundry chutes, and even with a chute 
there is still the problem of caring for the soiled 
articles to consider. 

We live, doubtless, in a fastidious age. Wheni 
the family washing was performed only once a; 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 119 

month, or even less often when the clothes were 
carried to the nearest river to be washed, there 
must have been little thought about the task 
of keeping them until laundry day. Doubtless 
they were stored in a chest — and that was the 
end of the matter. It is only now when a week- 
ly laundry day has supplanted a quarter-annual 
one that we worry about our methods of caring 
for soiled clothes. The nuns of the medieval 
hospitals at Paris used to chop through the ice 
of the Seine in the winter and stand in the icy 

waters knee deep to do their patients' washing. 
They probably worried little about the sort of 
hamper they used. 

A wicker hamper is perhaps the ideal laundiy 
container. But it must be kept clean. One 
enameled white looks so clean that it is hard 
to remember 'that it may harbor impurities, even 
germs. It must be washed in hot water occa- 
sionally, and dried in the sunshine, and then 
occasionally it can be further refreshed with a 
clean coat of enamel. 



120 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

Perhaps the ideal method is to have a sunny, 
dry laundry, and there to gather the soiled 
clothes. Everything damp, like bath towels, 
should be spread out on a washable wooden or 
metal rack and dried each day, then placed in 
a basket or hampei'. The clothes should not b 
piled together pelbmell. Table linen should be 
kept by itself in a separate hamper. Household 
linen can be kept in another and clothes in a 
third. 

A big white enamel tin box is an admirable 
holder for nursery laundry from a sick room. 
This should be emptied, scalded and aired every 
day — the laundry put into boiling Avater or a 
disinfecting fluid in the meantime. 

Laundry bags in the different rooms can be 

emptied every day into hampers. These bags 

should be of a sort easily washed, and every 

couple of weeks they should be washec^r. 

IRONING DAY TIPS. 

A professional ironer insists that ironing is 
really fascinating work if one Imows how to set 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 121 

about it. This means with irons in good con- 
dition and all necessary articles at hand. For 
ordinary houseliold use irons in sizes from -i to 
6 are the mast useful, and one should also have 
a couple of polishers and a bab}^ iron — ^say a 2 — 
for getting up into small places and gathers. 
DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS IRON- 
ING IS A TRIAL. 

During the summer months ironing is a trial ; 
but if you can manage to do it under the kitchen 
window, Avhere there is plenty of fresh air and 
light, you will find your task lightened tre- 
mendously. 

Cool air will have very little effect upon the 
irons, and if they do lose just a little heat, the 
benefit you obtain will atone for it. 

IRONING A BIAS. 

Be sure to iron garments with the straight of 
the goods and thus prevent stretching of the 
bias seams. 



122 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 



irtj 



IRONLXG POINTS. 

Have a nice ironing blanket and sheet; skirt 
and sleeve boards cost little and are indispen 
sable. Have a piece of white wax inside a 
folded rag, on which to give the iron an occa- 
sional rub. This makes it ''go" well. 
WHEN IRONING A BLOUSE WITH BUT- 
TONS ON IT. 

Wlien ironing a blouse with buttons on it, it 

is often found difficult to iron the material 

round the buttons. Try this hint and save time : 

Take a rough towel folded several times, lay the 

buttons face downward on it and iron over the 

backs. The buttons sink into the soft towel 

and the material is quickly made perfectly 
smooth. 

No. 1.— A FINE IRON CLEANER. 

The best iron cleaner is a piece of wire gauze. 
It is better than sandpaper, for the dirt falls 
through the holes and it is not rubbed into the 
iron again. 






LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 123 

No. 2.— TO CLEAN IRONS. 
To clean irons, rub them on brown paper over 
which powdered bath brick has been sprinkled, 
and if they become rusty, rubbing them with 
emery powder and a little paraffin will put 
them right. 

TO MAKE THE TASK OF IRONING 
EASIER. 

To make the task of ironing easier, dissolve 
a small piece of white laundry wax (the size of 
a small lump of sugar) in the hot starch. Be- 
fore ironing, sprinkle the clothes with hot water. 
The iron will run smooth and the clothes will 
have a delicate gloss. 

CARE OF IRONS. 

Irons should be kept in a dry place and not 
allowed to cool on the stove. They should never 
be put right onto the fire to heat, as this spoils 
the smooth surface. When heated over gas a 
sheet of block tin or iron should be placed over 
the flame, as moisture which forms rust settles 



124 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS, 

on the iron.s if they t'oiiie into direct contact 
with the gas. 

DO NOT IRON LINGERIE RIBBONS 
WHILE DAMP. 
Do not iron lingerie ribbons while damp if 
you want them to be soft. Wrap while wet 
smoothly around a big bottle covered with thick 
muslin, and press with a cool iron when dry. 
TO IRON EMBROIDERED CASES. 
When ironing embroidered pillow cases, slip 
the embroidered end over the end of the ironing 
board. They iron much easier this way. A 
turkish towel slipped inside of case to iron on 
brings out the embroidery. 0^ 

IRON RUST ON WHITE CLOTHES. 
Iron rust can often be removed from white, 
clothes by rubbing the spot with a ripe tomato, 
then cover with salt and let it dry in the sun- 
light. Finally wash out in clear warm water. 

TO KEEP IRONS FROM RUSTING. 
To keep irons from rusting, rub Avith mutton 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 125 

fat and wrap in brown paper before putting 
away. 

A LITTLE KEROSENE OIL PUT INTO 
STARCH. 

A little kerosene oil put into starch as it is 
cooking makes ironing easier and waxed cracker 
boxes are splendid for polishing hot irons. 

LACE AND EMBROIDERY, TO PRESS. 

Lace and embroidery must be pressed on the 
wrong side over a thick pad of felt ; articles 
such as calico, linens, prints, chintzes, etc., are 
ironed on the right side to give them a fhiish. 
The professional ironer irons silks and starched 
things wet, and she also thoroughly dries every- 
thing under the iron, Avhile the amateur makes 
the mistake of '^ damping down" her silks and 
starched things, and often hangs her work up 
to ''air" before it is dry. 

LACE CURTAINS THAT ARE SOILED. 
When boiling up soiled lace curtains, put a 
teaspoonful of spirits of turpentine in water. 



126 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

LAUNDRY BAGS FOR CHILDREN. 

Children should have individual laundry 
bags and be taught to put all soiled clothing in 
them as soon as taken off. 

SAVE LAUNDRY BILLS ON WORK 
APRONS. 

For the housekeeper who would like to save 
laundry bills on work aprons here is a sugges- 
tion : Get some light-weight white oilcloth and 
cut out a big apron, coming down to the bottom 
of the dress and going over the shoulders, shap- 
ing it about the waist. Then sew up the seams 
and bind the edges with white tape. When the 
apron is soiled, it can be laid on the table and 
scrubbed with clean, warm soapsuds. 

LAUNDERING CORDUROY. 

Make warm suds with good white soap. In 
this soak for half an hour the goods to be wash- 
ed. Squeeze out, but do not wring; then put 
them into a tub of clean, warm suds. Wash 
until quite clea.n, and squeeze as before ; put 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 127 

into a tub with one tablespoon of borax, pour 
on boiling water, and let stand for ten minutes, 
moving the goods oeasionally with a stick. 

Add sufficient cold water to cool, squeeze out 
again and put into a tub of cold rinsing water. 
Lift fromi this by the top of the garment and al- 
low to drain. Next give the garment a vigorous 
shaking and hang up to dry. Shape the gar- 
ment as it dries, and try to dry evenly. 

Corduroy should not be ironed. It is known 
as cotton velvet ; as a matter of fact, it is all cot- 
ton. Therefore boiling w^ater Avill not harm it. 
If, however, the water is hard, it may cause the 
cotton to thicken ; hence, the addition of the 
borax. But the chief cause of failure lies in 
wringing the material. This will not only de- 
stroy the nap, but will make the garment 
streaky — as many women have discovered to 
their sorrow. 

Corduroy can be so laundered that it will 
look like new until worn out. 



128 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

ECONOMY IN THE LAUNDRY. 

I have heard recently of several young brides 
who started out with the intention of doing their 
own laundry work — for the first year, at least. 
For girls who have not been accustomed to house- 
hold labor of any description, it appears rather 
formidable to take on the heaviest of all house- 
hold tasks; and it can be accomplished with 
genuine economy only if it be taken up thought- 
fully and scientifically. 

''Economy" is a ^comprehensive phrase as 
commonly used. It is not necessarily econom- 
ical to save the money each week that you would 
pay a laundress. It is economical only if you 
can do that work yourself without impairing 
your health or your efficiency for other neces- 
sary tasks. 

The inexperienced woman must 'lay out the 
laundry work very systematically if she is going 
to undertake it. All unnecessary labor should 
be eliminated. 

The first thing to be considered is the amount 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 129 

of clothes and household linen that must be used 
each week. With a little thought the weekly 
wash can be cut do^vn materially. 

Dish cloths and kitchen rags are first to be 
taken off the list. It will be necessary to have 
two or three dish towels for the silver, but hot 
water and drying racks for the china and glass 
and rolls of absorbent paper for the pots and 
pans will eliminate the rest. Luncheon sets of 
colored linen or grass linen will save materially 
on tablecloths, if you use them at luncheon and 
breakfast. 

Towels are another item that can be managed 
economically for the woman who has to do her 
own laundry; face and hand towels are a sheer 
luxury. The Turkish bath towel will serve 
equally well all purposes and it does not have 
to be ironed. 

In matter of personal linen, washable crepe 
underclothes that do not need pressing repre- 
sent the greatest saving. The white lingerie 
petticoat should be replaced by one of light-col- 



130 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

ored silk, and the white blouse by colored linen. 
To wear white that is not immaculate is an un- 
pardonable offense against taste, and the ward- 
robe of the Avoman who must economize in her 
laundry should be planned with this important 
fact in mind. 

The next point to be considered is the time 
consumed in washing. If the clothes are put 
in soak Sunday night, and washing is to be done 
Monday, then Monday must be left free for that 
and that alone, so far as possible. Meals must 
be simplified and a cold supper that can be pre- 
pared the day before should take the place of 
dinner. 

System, order and economy may make the 
work of the laundry comparatively light ; but if 
this work is approached carelessly and without 
due planning^ it will be found too heavy a task 
for the inexperienced woman. 

LAUNDERING LACES. 

One of the useful arts is the washing of fine 
blouses and laees, something for which we pay 






LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 131 

the goodly prices or fret with a laundress at 
home. 

There are fine pieces of lace in nearly every 
woman's wardrobe which it would be a shame 
to trust to the laundry or the average laundress. 

However, the beautiful finish that you may 
get and the greater care that you will take of 
your own treasures will well repay the trouble 
of learning how to do up these delicate things. 

In the first place, never use hot water. Be 
sure that your water is merely warm. Hot 
water would be most disastrous, indeed, for it 
would shrink and pull the blouses and laces 
hopelessly out of shape. Use a good, pure white 
soap. And be sure that it is pure. Soaps that 
are not will eat into your fine material like acid. 
Make a good lather and dip the blouse into it, 
rinsing it several times. Do not rub the ma- 
terial either together or against anything. 
Squeeze it. 

Next take the blouse out of the suds and rinse 
it through cold, clear water two or three times. 



132 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

Be sure that the temperature in which you dry 
the blouse is not too hot, as that also might be 
disastrous to the shape of your blouse. Throw 
the article over a clothes horse and remember 
to change its position several times while it is 
drying, that it may dry evenly. Otherwise the 
weight of the wet portions of the garment, how- 
ever slight that weight may be, will drag down 
on the blouse and pull it out of shape. 

TO LAUNDER TATTING. 

Baste your tatting firmly to a Turkish towel 
and wash it as though it were a part of the 
towel. "When nearly dry press the tatting while 
still on the towel, then carefully remove the 
basting threads and you will find your tatting 
almost like new. 

LAUNDRY TIME SAVER. 

For the woman who does her own laundry 
work great saving of time and strength may be 
found in the use of the small five-cent vegetable 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 133 

brushes. They are just the thing to rub soiled 
neckbands, wrists and all badly soiled garments. 

LAUNDER VOILE. 

Never rub soap directly on the goods, because 
this will thicken the threads of the background 
and so soften and flatten the design that it will 
almost disappear; in which event, of course, the 
beauty will be lost. 

Voile should be soaked in soapsuds, washed 
in warm suds and rinsed twice — first in luke 
warm water, then in cold water. It should not 
be put through a wringer, but squeezed through 
the hands. A very cool iron will serve for 
pressing. 

A LAUNDRY WRINKLE. 

Place a slice of lemon with the rind removed 
in your boiler of clothes. The result will be 
clothes beautifully clean and white ' without in 
any way injuring them. 



134 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

LINEN DRESS, STARCHING AND IRON- 
ING. 

Pure dress linens should never be starched. 
Linen should be ironed while very damp, and 
the result will be a fme glossy finish. 

LINT, TO CLEAN. 

A long-handled buttonhook should be kept in 
the laundry to clean the lint from the tub out- 
lets. 
IF LIQUID BLUE IS USED FOR BLUING 

If liquid blue is used for bluing the clothes, 
they should be thoroughly free from soap before 
it is used, as the combination of soap and blue 
causes rust. 

MEND ANTTTHING BEFORE IT IS 
STARCHED. 






It is of the utmost importance to mend any 
thing that needs starch before it is laundered. 
If the torn or worn place is starched and ironed 
it is torn and worn just so much the more, and a 
stiff, worn place is very difficult to mend. 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 135 

RINSING BLANKETS ON THE LINE. 

You may , use the garden hose for rinsing 
blankets and rugs on the line. Blankets dry 
without wrinkles. Rugs should first be scrub- 
bed with ammonia and water. Use a brush for 
that, then rinse. 

TO RINSE COLORED BLOUSES. 
One ounce of Epsom salts added to a gallon 
of water makes an excellent rinsing mixture for 
colored blouses and wash dresses. 

RINSING LACE, TO GIVE IT A CREAM 

COLOR. 

Instead of adding bluing to water in which 
lace has been rinsed try making the final rinsing 
in milk; it gives a lovely creamy tone to the 
lace. 

TO RETAIN THE HEAT IN SAD IRONS. 

To retain the heat in sad irons, purchase a 
square soapstone and use it for an iron stand. 
The irons will remain hot twice as long. 



136 LAUNDRY SUaGESTIONS. 

SILK SHOULD NEVER BE IRONED ON 
THE RIGHT SIDE. 

Silk should never be ironed on the right side, 
as it will be shiny wherever the iron has touched 
it. 

SOAKING CLOTHES. 

Our grandmothers used always to put the 
clothes ' ' to soak ' ' the night before ; but now time 
and space seem to be lacking for that particular 
rite. Much the same result may be obtained by 
allowing the clothes to stand for a while in hot 
soapsuds; the heat expands the fiber and the 
alkali of the soap softens and removes the dirt, 
and the washing is made much easier. 

STAINS AND SPOTS ON LINEN. 

After removing any stains and spots present I 
in linen wash in warm suds. Do not starch, but 
treat as follows : Hang out very straight on line, 
with warp threads across line. While still 
slightly damp take from line, fold carefully and 
evenly and iron dry. Begin ironing on wrong 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 137 

side, finish on right. Use only a moderately hot 
iron. Fold lengthwise three times one week, 
four times the next week, to prevent wear on 
creases. Instead of folding any further, roll 
the linen on heavy cylindrical cloth-covered ob- 
jects. (I use a discarded rolling pin that I 
covered with several layers of cheesecloth.) 
The life of the tablecloths and napkins is much 
lengthened by this treatment. Table linen 
should be boiled only occasionally. 

HOW TO MAKE STARCH. 

This is the way to make plain boiled starch : 
Allow two tablespoonfuls of starch to a gallon 
of water. Wet the starch with cold water until 
it is of the consistency of cream. Then pour 
over it the water, which is bubbling. Stir con- 
stantly until smooth and boil for five minutes. 
Add an inch of candle — to a gallon — or a table- 
spoonful of lard to give a very smooth starch. 
This is the foundation for all starching, ex- 
cepting that done with uncooked starch. 



138 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

If a very stiff starch is desired a tablespoon- 
ful of gum arabic water to a quart of starch 
gives good results. 

To prepare gum arabic water pour two cups 
of boiling water over a quarter of a pound of 
gum arabic. When the gum is dissolved, strain 
the solution into a bottle, cork and keep on hand 
for use in the laundry. 

STARCHING BY COLD STARCHING 
PROCESS. 

When starching by the cold starching process 
mix the starch with quite hot water instead of 
cold, and you will find that it will not stick 
to the iron and the garment can be ironed in 
one-half the time. 

STARCHING COLORS. 

The starching of colored things is indeed ah 
art, for starch must be carefully used if it is not 
to show in a colored fabric. 

Some laundresses wash colored garments in 
starchy water — ^using one part of boiled starch 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 139 

to four parts of water. This, they think, pre- 
serves the color. 

Be that as it may, most persons use starch 
only after the colored clothes are rinsed. And 
in starching colored things, put enough starch 
for only two or three garments into a bowl. 
Starch the two or three garments, and add more 
starch to stiffen, or, if there is any color in the 
starch from the clothes, begin with a new supply. 

It is quite possible to vary starch for starch- 
ing different colors. 

For blue things, of course, bluing is used. 
Never dip bluing bags into the starch, but make 
the starch of water that has been blued with 
the bluing. 

For black garments, black starch is sold that 
is quite satisfactory. White starch is almost 
sure to give unsatisfactory results on black ma- 
terial. 

A little clear coffee can be added to starch 
for tan or cream materials, and this is better 
than pure white starch in many colored things. 



140 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

Some laundresses get good results by starch- 
ing with rice water, with water in which pota- 
toes have been boiled — strained thoroughly, of 
course — with cornstarch, with white flour. And 
then there is the fme starch that does not need 
cooking that can be very satisfactorily used in 
many cases. It should be made according to 
directions on each package, and can be tinted, as 
can the boiled starch. 

TO STARCH ORGANDIE. 

Organdie, which is very thin and sheer, does 
not need heavy starching, and it is perhaps bet- 
ter to do all the stiffening of this material with 
gum arable. 

Add two tablespoonfuls of the prepared gum 
arable water to a quart of lukewarm water and 
dip the organdie, after it has been dried, into 
this. Roll the garments into a tight roll and 
allow to get partly dry. Have ready an atom- 
izer containing lukewarm water, and with this 
atomize the outside of the roll, which will be 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 141 

drier than the inside. Iron the starched organ- 
die on the wrong side as far as possible. 

Very sheer muslin curtains can be starched 
in the same way, if they are desired very stiff. 
But if they are not wanted so stiff, add a little 
of the gum. arable water to the rinsing water, 
roll the curtains tight, and iron before they are 
quite dry — always on the wrong side. 

It is a very good plan to have a little bowl 
containing very thin starch on the ironing board 
when starched things are to be ironed. If a 
speck appears on the object to be ironed, rub 
it off with the starch instead of with plain water, 
and so run no risk of leaving an unstarched 
place in a starched surface. 

TO CLEAN CRETONNE CURTAINS. 

To clean cretonne curtains, first shake them 
free from dust and wash in rain water if pos- 
sible, but if this is not obtainable use borax to 
soften the water, then add about one-fourth of 
a cup of kerosene to a tub of water. It is ex- 
cellent for removing dust from this fabric. 



142 LAUNDEY SUGGESTIONS. 

The water should not be hot, but warm enough 
to make a good suds with either white soap or 
a wool soap. Never rub soap on these curtains, 
nor use alkali of any kind. Wash in two suds 
and rinse in tepid water containing salt, which 
will brighten the colors, especially blue, purple 
and pink. Dry and iron while rather damp on 
the wrong side. They should not be starched. 
WASHING WINDOW CURTAINS. 

First measure the width of the curtains to 
keep for reference. Lace curtains in particular 
are often torn by being stretched beyond their 
original width. They are not hard to wash if 
properly handled. Shake them free from dust 
and look them over to see that they hold no 
needles or pins to injure the hands. Then care- 
fully mend all torn places by placing a piece 
of net under the place to be mended. 

Old lace curtains should be saved for this 
purpose. Never put lace curtains in a washing 
machine, as it will tear the delicate fiber, and 
do not wash too many at once. If laces or nets 



* LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 143 

have a grayish cast, they should be bleached. 
Put a little lye in the boiling suds to make them 
a clear white. Add only enough to the water 
to make it slightly slippery to the touch. If 
they are not to be bleached, but just washed, 
have the first wash water rather warm. Soap 
the curtains well, roll them, and pack them into 
the tub. Keep them well covered with water. 
Add at least a tablespoonful of kerosene to the 
first water. This will loosen the dust. Soak 
them overnight if convenient, then wash them 
carefully, put them in the boiling suds, wash a 
second time and rinse. Make the starch very 
thin. Never wring lace curtains, but squeeze 
them. 

If curtains are to be ironed, they should be 
stretched before they are sprinkled. All ruf- 
fles must be pulled into shape. Net curtains 
will hang straighter if folded through the cen- 
ter edge to edge and ironed dry from one end 
to the other. Fold again through the center and 
hang over a clothes rack. A No. 9 iron is not 






144 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. • 

too large. It retains the heat and presses the 
curtains more quickly. No moisture should be 
felt in a curtain after it leaves the ironing 
board. If they are dried upon curtain stretch- 
ers, keep all but the end fastened in the basket 
or a large pan, so that no part will drag on the 
floor, and choose a sunny place for the drying. 
WASHING CUETAINS BY SIMPLE 
METHOD. 

Every housewife knows the disappointment 
of seeing her nice curtains pulled out of shape, 
frayed at the edges and perhaps torn. Damage 
may be eliminated if the following plan be 
adopted : 

Wash out the curtain in lukewarm water in 
which a small quantity of good soap has been 
dissolved, rinse carefully, then run rod through 
top and put up the wet curtain at the most con- 
venient window for drying (as though it were 
up to stay). Put another rod, preferably a 
metal one, through bottom hem. This will bring 
the curtain perfectly straight, in which position 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 145 

it will dry. When dry take it down, iron hems 
at top and bottom, press all over if desired, and 
the curtain is ready to go into position. This 
method is very simple and efficacious and one 
has the satisfaction of knowing that the curtain 
has not been injured by any deleterious com- 
pound. Curtains so treated will be found to 
hang perfectly straight and even, without hav- 
ing to be stretched or pulled. 

PAINT STAINS ON CURTAINS. 

Perhaps the curtain has at some time brushed 
against a newly painted window sill. These 
paint stains can be removed with turpentine if 
they are fresh. In case they are old, turpentine 
and chloroform can be used, and the stain blot- 
ted out with a piece of blotting paper. 

DRYING CURTAINS OUTDOORS. 
If you wish to dry them outdoors on the 
clothesline, hang them lengthways on the line. 
Place opposite scallops together and pull the 
whole curtain straight. The starch will stick 
the opposite halves together, no pins being need- 



f 



m 



146 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

ed. The curtains will be straight and even and 
no ironing will be necessary, only a pressing of 
the scallops. A favorite way with many house- 
keepers is to pin them on the clothesline and 
fasten another line as far down as the curtain 
hangs. Then pin the curtain securely to both 
lines so as to pull it taut. This is almost as 
good as the stretcher and far less trouble. 

SOAKING LACE CURTAINS. ^ 

A word more about lace curtains. Put light- 
weight lace curtains to soak over night in clear, 
cold water. The next morning you will find 
the bottom of the tub filled with dirt, and the 
curtains will be almost clean, requiring no rub- 
bing, just a little rinsing and boiling to make 
them snow white. Heavy-mesh curtains will 
need more boiling. A good starch is made with 
one tablespoonful of pulverized starch and one 
teaspoonful of gum arable. Pour on three 
pints of boiling water, but do not let boil. If 
cream-colored lace curtains are rinsed in tea or 
weak coffee they will hold their color better. 



\ 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 147 

STRETCHING LACE CURTAINS. 

Adjust the curtain stretcher to the size of the 
curtain measurements taken before washing, and 
pin the curtain edges to it. These wooden cur- 
tain stretchers, made with adjustable pins, can 
be bought in any department store. If you do 
not own a curtain stretcher, you can measure 
out the distances on a sheet and pin the cur- 
tain to it, drying them either on the floor or 
lawn. 

Several curtains may be put on one stretcher 
at the same time if laid flat ; one over the other. 
If the curtains become a little dry before they 
are pinned, they should be sprinkled again, for 
the edges do not dry well unless the curtain is 
uniformly wet. 

By keeping the curtains folded during the 
entire process of washing, the net is protected 
from being torn. In taking curtains off the 
stretchers, do not pull them, but lift the edges 
carefully from each adjustable pin, so that they 
will not ruffle. Sometimes the border, or lace 



i 



'\ 



148 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

insert, needs pressing. If so, first dampen it 
then cover with a cloth and iron on the wrong j 
side. 

TO WASH ANYTHING THAT IS GREASY. 
To wash anything that is greasy, use hot soda^ 
water. The alkali turns the grease into soap, 
which will do its own cleaning. 

WHEN WASHING COARSE CLOTHES. 

When washing coarse clothes, use soft soap,' 

as it will go farther than the ordinary yellow? 

and is more efficacious. j 

TO WASH LACE. 1 

Tack the lace to a piece of flannel sewed, 
around a bottle. The bottle should then be' 
splashed in warm suds and rinsed b}^ splashing; 
in clear water. The lace is then allowed to dry^ 
on the bottle before it is remove .1. 

WHEN WASHING RATINE. 

When washing ratine do not put it through' 
a wringer. After rinsing wring loosely and 



i 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 149 

hang out slightly heavy with water. If washed 

this way the article will not need much ironing, 

WASHING SILK STOCKINGS. 

Silk stockings should never be ironed. Wash 

them in soapsuds (made with good white soap 

and luke-warm water) and rinse in clear water 

of the same temperature. Eougli dry. 

IF WHITE CLOTHES LOOK SLIGHTLY 

YELLOW AFTER BEING WASHED. 

If white clothes look slightly yellow after 
being washed, one tablespoonful of kerosene, tur- 
pentine, or peroxide of hydrogen added to the 
rinsing water will aid in whitening them. 

WASHING WHITE SILK STOCKINGS. 

White silk stockings have a most annoying 
habit of acquiring a yellowish tinge after two 
or three washings, and this is usually due to 
their being washed out in a basin and hung up 
to dry without bleaching. Soak the stockings 
half an hour in cold water into which a pinch 
of borax has been dropped; then wash them in 



150 LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 

warm, but not hot water. Rinse in three waters 
— this is very important, for the least bit of 
soap remaining will yellow the silk — and blue 
the last rinsing water just a trifle. Then hang 
the stockings in the sun and wind to bleach and 
dry. 

Never touch them with a hot iron, but when 
.thoroughly dry smooth out and roll up. Never 
put white silk stockings to soak with black or 
colored silk stockings, for the dye is very apt to 
run out and streak the white hose badly. "White 
cotton stockings, now considered better taste 
with sport shoes than silk hosiery, may be wash- 
ed in the same manner, but the cotton stocking 
looks best if pressed with a hot iron so that 
the fuzzy nap in the weave is laid perfectly flat. 
FOR A WINDY WASH DAY. 

When sheets are hung outdoors in a wind that 
is apt to whip them out at the hems, fold them 
once and pin on the line at the hems. They 
cannot whip to do any damage, and will dry 
rapidly. 



LAUNDRY SUGGESTIONS. 151 

DO NOT LEAVE WOODEN TUBS TO DRY. 
Do not leave wooden tubs to dry or they will 
quickly crack and come apart. Keep a little 
water always standing in them. 



Household Wisdom. 



USE FOR LEAKY HOT- WATER BOTTLES. 

You can make use of leaky liot-water bottles. 

Pilled with hot sand or salt, they may be used 

in the care and treatment of patients. Keep 

the bottle inflated and closed when not in use. 

TO REMOVE LEATHER STAINS. 

To remove leather stains made by shoes on 
white or light-colored stockings, use borax. 

LIGHT DISHES, TO TAKE OUT FROM 
THE OVEN. 

A pancake turner with a long handle may be 
used to take light dishes from the oven, and 
it wall save many burns on the arm. 

LIGHT HOUSEKEEPING. 

When keeping house in two rooms a closet 

may be converted into a kitchen and fitted up 

as follows : Cover the floor with a remnant of 

linoleum and the walls with white table oil- 

152 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 153 

cloth. Put in a small gas stove, connected with 
the gas fixtures in the room. Around three 
sides of the closet shelves may be provided to 
hold the necessary supplies and chinaware. 
Hooks should be placed under the shelves for 
the kitchen utensils of white enamel. A small 
work table, covered with white oilcloth, will 
make the little kitchen complete. 

TO POLISH LINOLEUM. 

Take common beeswax and shave it very thin 
with a knife dipped in hot w^ater. Cover the 
wax with turpentine and let it stand twenty- 
four hours. Do not heat it on the stove as this 
will dissolve it and make it like a soft paste. 
Clean your linoleum with warm water and a 
little soap until it is perfectly clean, then take 
a woolen cloth and put on some of the above 
paste and polish with another woolen cloth. 
This will surely save scrubbing and cleaning the 
floors every week, and also saves wear and tear 
on the linoleum, 



154 HOUSEHOLD "WISDOM. 

LINOLEUM, TO RENOVATE. 

Should your linoleum require renovating, 
wash it first ^\dth soap and water, and w^hen it 
is thoroughly dry paint it with the following 
Yellow wax, five ounces ; oil of turpentine, eleven 
ounces ; varnish, five ounces. Mix at a gentle 
heat and apply with a woolen rag. 

LINT AND DUST, TO TAKE UP FEOM 
THE FLOOR. 

Buy a common blackboard eraser and fasten 
it firmly to an old broom handle. If the eraser 
is dipped into a little coal oil it will take up all 
lint and dust and polish the floor at the same 
time. 

TO MAKE LIQUID GLUE FOR LABELING 

ON TIN. 

To make liquid glue for labeling on tin, take 
one quart of boiling water, two ounces of pul- 
verized borax and then add four ounces of gum 
shellac and boil till dissolved. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 155 

WEAR LOOSE CHAMOIS GLOVES FOR 
MOST HOUSEWORK. 

Wear loose chamois gloves for most housework, 
whenever possible, and occasionally sprinkle a 
little flour inside, as this prevents the heat from 
harming the skin. 

TO RENEW THE LUSTER OF MOROCCO. 

To renew the luster of morocco, or any other 
leather, apply the w^hite of an egg with a si3onge. 
TO REMOVE MACHINE OIL SPOTS. 

To remove machine oil from materials in 
which the colors might run, use cold water, to 
which has been added a teaspoonful of ammonia. 
Then wash with soap., 

TO MEND A MACKINTOSH. 

To mend a mackintosh, make a cement by dis- 
solving shreds of pure rubber in naphtha to 
make a stiff paste. Apply the paste to each edge 
to be joined; lay the mackintosh on a table, 
bring the torn edges together and place a weight 
on them until the cement has hardened. 



156 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

MAKING A FIRE. 

First, so that there will be a free circulation 
of air, be sure that the grate is clean and the 
ash pan emptied. 

Put a layer of shavings or a crumpled news- 
paper in the grate — printer's ink is quite inflam- 
mable. Over this foundation place some fine 
splinters of kindlings, with dried pieces of 
orange peel or corncobs, if you happen to have 
them. Next put a layer of larger wood, reach- 
ing ends and sides. This helps the coal to 
kindle, and a stronger and more rapid blaze is 
obtained by its use. 

Then light the paper from beneath, and as 
soon as it is thoroughly kindled put on a sprink- 
ling of coal, opening the direct chimney and oven 
drafts. 

Then as the wood burns away more coal — 
enough to keep even ^nth the fire bricks, but 
never enough to go above them.. 

Should you desire a brisk fire all day, add a 
sprinkling of coal often. This is far better than 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 157 

letting the fire burn nearly out and then adding 
a large quantity of coal. 

In caring for the fire at night, make it partly 
clear of ashes, then put on coal. After the blue- 
flames point has passed, close, or nearly close, 
the drafts and open the little sliding doors that 
let cold air over the fire box. Where it is pos- 
sible arrange the windows of the room so that 
any gas may escape. Put on a little wood and 
a sprinkling of coal in the morning, then shake 
down the fire and open the drafts. 

USES OF MARBLE SLAB. 

We have all heard of the darky cook who 
declared that the excellence of her beaten biscuit 
was due, not to her skill, but to the marble slab 
on which they were pounded, which had been 
the gravestone of ''an awful good woman." 
To those who can beg or borrow the slabs which 
formed the top of some erstwhile modish walnut 
relic of a bureau or table many uses will sug- 
gest themselves. The housewife will use it to 
roll her finest pastry on, as its cold temperature 



158 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



will add materially to the flakiness of her crust/ 
while the children will delight to roll fondant- 
or drop mint creams on its smooth surface. 

It is the college girl, however, who will try 
to find one for her, for many and varied are the 
ends it will serve in the halls of learning. For 
pressing flowers for her herbarium, it is unequal 
ed, and it forms an ideal writing pad, to save 
the table cover from sundry drops of ink ; while 
its weight allows it to hold fast to papers placed 
under its edges, blow the breeze never so high 

Placed on the top of the steam radiator, it is 
much better than the traditional mirror or win 
dow pane for drying the best handkerchiefs; 
while crocheted collars need no ironing when 
well stretched on it and pulled into shape; and 
it may even serve for an ironing board on which 
to press one's dainty waists or the draggled 
edges of a skirt, with the tiny electric irons, and 
what finer board could be found on which to 
cut stencil patterns than the tried and trusty 
slab? 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 159 

One piece of marble was divided into squares, 
and colored, so that chess or checkers might be 
played on it, with no danger of the board's 
''splitting" during a crisis of the game; while 
a smaller piece served as an ironing stand for 
the busy housewife, holding the heat much bet- 
ter than the perforated one which it displaced. 

CHILD'S NAME ON SCHOOL BOOKS AND 
OVERSHOES. 
A rubber stamp with the child's name on it 
can be used to mark school books and overshoes. 
Such articles are often lost or stolen, and not 
always is it an easy matter to identify them un- 
less properly marked. 

CARE OF MATTING. 

Rub every two or three months with salt water, 
lukewarm, and dry quickly with a clean cloth. 
MENDING CHINA AND POTTERY. 

The best means for mending china, porcelain, 
or pottery of any description, is white oil paint. 
Buy a tube of a good make and use it like tube 



160 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

paste. If you have a box of oil colors, add 
enough of any tint 'to the white to match the 
broken article, but the white paint does not show, 
and is astonishingly effective. 

TO BRIGHTEN METAL LACE. 
Gold or silver lace may be brightened by boil- 
ing in hydrochloric acid slightly diluted with 
water. The acid will remove the verdigris and 
dust and leave the gold or silver uninjured. 
Clean gold lace on garments by applying pow- 
dered ammonia briskly with a flannel. Finish 
by giving it a good brushing or polishing with 
an old silk handkerchief. 

REMEDY FOR MILDEW. 

An excellent remedy for mildew is to saturate 
the article with kerosene, roll it up and let stand 
for at least twenty-four hours, then wash it in 
hot soapsuds. 

No. 1.— TO REMOVE MILDEW STAINS. 
Mix a small quantity of soft soap with the 
same proportion of powdered starch and salt 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 161 

and the juice of a lemon. Apply this mixture 
to both sides of the stain ^^dth a small brush, 
and, if possible, let the article lie on the grass 
all day and night until the stains have quite 
disappeared. Then wash in the usual way. 

No. 2.— MILDEW STAINS, TO REMOVE. 

Wet in boiling water, wring dry, dip in sour 
milk, lay in sun, cover with salt very thick. 
Finer pieces of linen should be covered with 
sifted starch and laid on grass in sun. 
^ TO REMOVE MILDEW PROM WHITE 
CLOTHES. 

To remove mildew from white clothes, spread 
the juice of ripe tomatoes on the spots and lay 
the article on the grass in the sun. It may 
be necessary to make a second application if the 
stains are bad. 

TO POLISH MIRRORS. 

Rub mirrors with methylated spirits and pol- 
ish with a touch of blue powder. 



162 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



TO PREVENT MOLD ON BOOKS. 

During continued damp weather books often 
become musty and even moldy. This can be 
prevented by placing a few drops of oil of lav- 
ender and Canada balsam in the back cornel 
of each bookshelf. 

THIS DRIVES MOSQUITOES AWAY. 

Wind a piece of paper around a pencil anc 
fill the tube so formed with Persian powder 
Stand in a dish of sand and bum it an houi 
before bedtime. This drives the mosquitoes 
away and so insures an untroubled night 's sleep 

REMEDIES FOR MOSQUITO BITES. 

From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology. 

The most satisfactory remedy known to the 
writer, from his personal experience, has beer 
moist soap. Wet the end of a piece of ordinarjr 
toilet soap and rub it gently on the puncture, 
and the irritation will soon pass away. Others 
have enthusiastically recommended household 
ammonia, or alcohol, or glycerin. One corre- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 163 

spondent marks the puncture with a lump of 
indigo; another with one of the naphthaline 
moth balls; another, iodin. Rev. R. W. Ander- 
son, of Wando, S. C, states that he has found 
that by holding his hand to a hot lamp chimney 
the irritation of mosquito punctures will be re- 
lieved instantly. 

PROTECTION PROM BITES. 

Spirits of camphor mbbed upon the face and 
hands or a few drops on the pillow at night will 
keep mosquitoes away for a time, and this is 
also a well-known property of oil of pennyroyal. 
Neither of these substances is durable; that is 
to say, a single application will not last through 
the night. Oil of peppermint, lemon juice, and 
vinegar have all been recommended, while oil 
of tar has been used in regions where mosquitoes 
are especially abundant. Oil of citronella is one 
of the best substances to be used in this way. 
The odor is objectionable to some people, but 
not to many, and it is efficient in keeping away 
mosquitoes for several hours. The best mixture 



164 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

tried by the writer was sent to him by Mr. C. A. 
Nash, of New York, and is as follows: Oil of 
citronella, 1 ounce ; spirits of camphor, 1 ounce ; 
oil of cedar, % ounce. 

Ordinarily a few drops on a bath towel hung 
over the head of the bed will keep the common 
house mosquitoes away. Where they are very 
abundant and persistent a few drops rubbed on 
the face and hands will suffice. Even this mix- 
ture, however, loses its efficacy toward the close 
of a long night. 

EXCELLENT MOTH BAGS. 

If one does not care to go to the expense of 
buying a cedar or camphor wood chest there 
is another way to obtain excellent mothproof 
bags at small expense. Save all the old night- 
dresses, cut out the sleeves, sew the sleeve holes 
firmly together, and then sew up the neck, leav 
ing a tiny space for the hook of the hanger to 
go through. This will give a bag open at the 
bottom only which can be slipped over the hang 
er, containing^ any clothing to be put away 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 165 

Little gauze pockets of tar and camphor sewed 
around the bottom and on the inside of this 
improvised bag will keep moths away, even if 
the bottom is left open, but if the clothes are 
especially tempting to moths it is better to put 
in the camphor and tar pockets and then sew 
up the bottom, so that the nightdress is made 
into a regular bag. 

No. 1.— IF THERE ARE MOTHS IN THE 
CARPET. 

If you fear moths in the carpets or rugs, scrub 
the floor with strong hot salt and water and 
when sweeping the rugs each week, or the car- 
pet, sprinkle it first with salt. This salt-and- 
water treatment could hardly be applied to a 
nicely finished floor, but moths seldom get into 
rugs laid on a shellacked or waxed hardwood 
floor. If they do, the rugs can simply be taken 
into the air and thoroughly cleaned, with salt 
sprinkled on them before the sweeping or beat- 
ing, and they can be held over steaming water. 
The steam kills the moths. 



166 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



1 



No. 2.— IF MOTHS ARE IN A CARPET 

If moths are in a carpet, spread a damp towel 
over the part and iron it dry with a hot iron. 
The heat and steam will kill the worms and 
eggs. 

PROTECTION FROM MOTHS. 

Gasoline or benzine is a good friend to the 
housekeeper. It is not only good as a cleanser, 
cleaning clothes, ribbons, paints, marble and] 
bath perfectly, but it is certain death to mothsj 
or the larvae. If any article is infected, a thor-j 
ough spraying with gasoline, several times re4 
peated, will be a certain remedy. It is wisej 
to spray and brush with gasoline all articles, 
especially furs, then wrap closely in newspapers^ 
and pack away in boxes, with a cover of news-; 
papers. 

TO SAVE FURS FROM MOTHS. 

A good way to save the furs from the moth 
is to sprinkle them well with powdered alum, 



:hl 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 167 

then rub this well into the skin of the furs be- 
fore packing them away. 

CLOTHES MOTHS. 

From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology. 

There is no easy method of preventing the 
damage done by clothes moths, and to maintain 
the integrity of woolens or other materials which 
are likely to attack demands constant vigilance, 
with frequent inspection and treatment. In 
general, they are likely to affect injuriously 
only articles which are put away and left un- 
disturbed for some little time. Articles in daily 
or weekly use, and apartments frequently aired 
and swept, or used as living rooms, are not apt 
to be seriously affected. Carpets under these 
conditions are rarely attacked, except sometimes 
around the borders, where the insects are not 
so much disturbed by walking and sweeping. 
Agitation, such as beating, shaking, or brush- 
ing, and exposure to air and sunlight, are old 
remedies and still among the best at command. 
Various repellents, such as tobacco, camphor, 



168 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

naphthaline cones or balls, and cedar chips or 
sprigs, have a certain value if the garments are 
not already stocked with eggs or larvae. The 
odors of these repellents are so disagreeable to 
the parent moths that they are not likely to 
come to deposit their eggs as long as the odor 
is strong. As the odor weakens the protection 
decreases, and if the eggs or larvae are already 
present, these odors have no effect on their devel- 
opment; while if the moths are inclosed with 
the stored material to be protected by these re- 
pellents, so that they can not escape, they will 
of necessity deposit their eggs, and the destruc- 
tive work of the larvae will be little, if at all, 
restricted. After woolens have been given a 
vigorous and thorough treatment and aired and 
exposed to sunlight, however, it is of some ad- 
vantage in packing them away to inclose with 
them any of the repellents mentioned. Cedar 
chests and wardrobes are of value in proportion 
to the freedom of the material from infestation: 
when stored away; but, as the odor of the wood 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 169 

is largely lost with age, in the course of a few 
years the protection greatly decreases. Furs 
and such garments may also be stored in boxes 
or trunks which have been lined with heavy tar 
paper used in buildings. New^ papering should 
be given to such receptacles every year or two. 
Similarly, the tarred paper moth bags obtain- 
able at dry-goods houses are of some value; al- 
ways, however, the materials should first be 
subjected to the treatment outlined above. 

To protect carpets, clothes, and cloth-covered 
furniture, furs, etc., these should be thoroughly 
beaten, shaken, brushed, and exposed as long 
as practicable to the sunlight in early spring, 
either in April, May, or June, depending on the 
latitude. The brushing of garments is a very 
important consideration, to remove the eggs or 
young larvae which might escape notice. Such 
material can then be hung away in clothes 
closets which have been thoroughly cleaned, and, 
if necessary, sprayed with benzine about the 
cracks of the floor and the baseboards. If no 



170 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

other protection be given, the garments should 
be examined at least once a month during sum- 
mer, brushed, and, if necessary, exposed to the 
sunlight. 

It would be more convenient, however, so to 
inclose or wrap up such material as to prevent 
the access of the moths to it, after it has once 
been thoroughly treated and aired. This can 
be easily effected in the case of clothing and furs 
by wrapping tightly in stout paper or inclosing 
in well-made bags of cotton or linen cloth or 
strong paper. Doctor Howard has adopted a 
plan which is inexpensive, and which he has 
found eminently satisfactory. For a small sum 
he secures a number of the large pasteboard 
boxes, such as tailors use, and in these packs 
away all winter clothing, gumming a strip of 
wrapping paper around the edge, so as to seal 
up the box completely and leave no cracks. 
These boxes with care will last many years. 
With thoroughly preliminary treatment it will 
not be necessary to use the tar-impregnated 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 171 

paper sacks sold as moth protectors, which may- 
be objectionable on account of the odor. 

In the case of cloth-covered furniture and 
cloth-lined carriages, which are stored or left 
unused for considerable periods in summer, it 
will probably be necessary to spray them twice 
or three times, viz, in April, June, and August, 
with benzine or naphtha, to protect them from 
moths. These substances can be applied very 
readily with any small spraying device, and will 
not harm the material, but caution must be ex- 
ercised on account of their inflammability. An- 
other means of protecting such articles is to 
sponge them very carefully with a dilute solu- 
tion of corrosive sublimate in alcohol, made just 
strong enough not to leave a white stain. 

The method of protection adopted by one of 
the leading furriers of Washington, who also 
has a large business and experience in storing 
costly furs, etc., is practically the course already 
outlined. Furs when received are first most 
thoroughly and vigorously beaten with small 



172 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

sticks, to dislodge all loosened hair and the lar- 
vae or moths. They are then gone over care- 
fully with a steel comb and packed away in 
large boxes lined with heavy tar roofing paper, 
or in closets similarly lined with this paper. An 
examination is made every two to four weeks, 
and, if necessary at any time, any garment re- 
■ quiring it is rebeaten and combed. During 
many years of experience in this climate, which 
is especially favorable to moth damage, this mer- 
chant has prevented any serious injury from 
moths. 

. COLD STORAGE. ; 

.The best method of protection, and the one 
now commonly adopted by dealers in carpets, 
furs, etc., is cold storage. In all large towns 
anyone can avail himself of this means by pat-- 
ronizing storage companies, and safety will be 
guaranteed. 

The most economical degree of cold to be used 
as a protection from clothes moths and allied 
insects destructive to woolens and furs has been 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 173 

definitely determined by the careful experiments 
carried out at the instance of Doctor Howard 
by Dr. Albert M. Read, manager of a large stor- 
age warehouse company in Washington, D. C. 
These experiments demonstrated that a temper- 
ature maintained at 40 degrees F. renders the 
larval or other stages of these insects dormant 
and is thoroughly effective. The larvae, how- 
ever, are able to stand a steady temperature as 
low as 18 degrees F. without apparently experi- 
encing any ill results. Doctor Read's experi- 
ments have extended over two years, and his 
later results as reported by Doctor Howard are 
very interesting. They have demonstrated that 
while a temperature kept uniformly at 18 de- 
grees F. will not destroy the larvae of Tineola 
hiselliella or of the black carpet beetle (Atta- 
gemis piceus), "an alternation of a low tempera- 
ture with a comparatively high one invariably 
results in the death of the larvae of these two 
insects. For example, if larvae of either of 
which have been kept at a temperature of 18 



174 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

degrees F. are removed to a temperature of 40 
degrees to 50 degrees F., they will become slight- 
ly active and, when returned to the lower tem- 
perature and kept there for a little time, will not 
revive upon a retransfer to the warmer tempera- 
ture. ' ' 

It is recommended, therefore, that storage 
companies submit goods to two to three changes 
of temperature as noted before placing them in 
an apartment kept at a temperature of from 
40 degrees to 42 degrees F. The maintenance 
of a temperature lower than the last indicated 
is needless and a wasteful expense. Where the 
cost of cold storage is not an item to be seriously 
considered, the adoption of this method for pro- 
tection of goods during the hot months is strong- 
ly recommended. 

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING. 

If you have a long, hard tramp before you, 

or mountain climbing to do, wear two pairs of 

socks or stockings. A pair of lisle and a pair of 

silk ones combine well. The two stockings, rub- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. ITo 

bing against each other, absorb the friction that 
might otherwise work itself out in blisters on 
the feet. 

IF THE TEAPOT BECOMES MUSTY. 

If the teapot becomes musty, put a lump of 
sugar in it before putting it away. It will 
smell sweet when you want to use it. 
TO CLEAN NICKEL PLATE. 

To clean nickel plate when it has turned dark 
on the kitchen range, rub it wdth a flannel cloth 
dipped in vinegar. 
TO CLEAN NICKEL SILVER ORNAMENTS. 

To clean nickel silver ornaments, dip a piece 
of flannel in ammonia and rub the article. 
TO CLEAN WHITE OILCLOTH. 

A slice of potato is an excellent thing to clean 
white oilcloth which has become disfigured by 
hot cooking utensils. 

WHEN WASHING OILCLOTH. 

When washing oilcloth a tablespoonful of 



i 



176 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

painters' size added to a pailful of water wil 
give a glossy surface and make it wear much 
better than when washed in the ordinary way 
IF YOU PASTE YOUR OILCLOTH ON TO 
THE KITCHEN TABLE. 
If you paste your oilcloth on to the kitcher 
table with ordinary flour paste, you will fin( 
that it will wear twice as long as when tackec 
on. The oilcloth does not move and wrinkles 
when wiping it, and so does not crack and soak 
up water. 

No. 1.— TO CLEAN OIL PAINTINGS. 

To clean oil paintings, peel a potato and halve 
it. Rub carefully over the painting with the 
flat side. Cut a new surface each time the moist- 
ure is exhausted. Sponge afterward with clean, 
tepid water. 

No. 2.— TO CLEAN OIL PAINTINGS. 
Oil paintings can be cleaned with a pure white 
soap and water with a little care. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 177 

OIL ON CLOTHING. 
Oil stains on clothing should be covered with 
soap and washed with cold water before the 
garment is sent to the laundry. They may be 
removed with turpentine. 

OLD CORKS ARE USEFUL. 

Old corks, not fit for their original pur- 
pose, are very useful to make a low fire burn 
up. A few should be inserted among the em- 
bers. 

USES FOR OLD COTTON SHEETS. 

No new material that can be purchased equals 
pieces of old cotton sheets and pillow slips for 
scrubbing and cleaning; and discarded flannel 
underwear is splendid for cloths for washing 
paint and windows, for cleaning silver and pol- 
ishing brasses. 

USING OLD LINEN AND COTTON. 

Worn napkins cut into squares and oblongs 
and hemmed serve as doilies on which to lay 



m HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

fish or fried potatoes or croquettes, or to enwrap 
baked potatoes. 

TO USE OLD OILCLOTH. 

A good way to use old oilcloth is to cut it into 
squares or ovals, make linen covers to fit them, 
and use for table pads to go under hot dishes. 
OLD TABLE LINEN IN ILLNESS. 

. Old table linen is almost priceless in illness. 
The thin serviettes are so soft for cold pads and 
compresses. The worn table cloths make excel- 
lent bandages, and if cut up into pieces as re- 
quired are invaluable for dressing burns. In in- 
fectious diseases they can be cut up for tray 
cloths and covers for table and chest of drawers, 
while the serviettes can be used for trays and 
when dirty can be burned. 

OLD VELVET IS USEFUL. 

A piece of velvet is a fine cleaner for brass 
and for polishing silverware it is better than 
chamois. It quickly removes the dust from 
woodwork and if used to rub the stove after it 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 179 

has been blackened, it will produce a high polish. 
There is nothing better to dust a felt hat, and 
silk dresses and other silk articles should always 
be dusted mth it, for it cleans perfectly with- 
out cutting or otherwise injuring the silk. 

TO CLEAN OSTRICH FEATHERS. 
Make some lukewarm suds with good soap, 
put them and the feathers into a two-quart fruit 
jar and shake well, so that the dirt will come 
out quickly. Then rinse and blue with a feather 
bluing. Dry over the register. The heat will 
blow out all the feathers, making them white and 
fluffy. Curl with a blunt knife or paper cutter. 

OVEN CLOTH MADE OF DENIM. 

Oven cloths made of denim are very service- 
able and no up-to-date housewife should be 
without them. A good way to make them is 
to cut two pieces of denim one yard long and 
six inches wide. Sew the pieces together and 
turn back the ends about six inches. This will 
make pockets at each end, into which the hands 



180 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

may be slipped when removing hot dishes from 
the oven. 

TO CLEAN OXIDIZED SILVER. 
To clean oxidized silver, dip a rag into a sat- 
urated solution of sulphate of soda, and it will 
be clean in a few seconds. 

No. 1.— CLEANING PAINT. 

■ Dissolve two tablespoonfuls of borax in a little 
warm water and then add three pints of cold 
water to this. Wash the paint with this, using 
a sponge, and dry with a soft chamois or linen 
cloth. Never put ammonia into water to clean 
varnished paint. Finger marks are best re- 
moved from furniture by washing with water 
colored with vinegar and then wipe with a dry 
cloth. When obliged to use soap on paint, rinse 
it off and wipe dry. Bran is far better than 
soap for cleaning paint. 

No. 2.— CLEANING PAINT. 
In cleaning paint, use water to which am- 
monia has been added until it feels slippery. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 181 

If there are stubborn spots on the white paint, 
I have discovered that a damp cloth on which 
a little whiting has been sprinkled will succeed 
better than soap or ammonia. 

TO REMOVE PAINT FROM CLOTHING. 

To remove paint from clothing, saturate the 
spots with equal parts of ammonia and turpen- 
tine and then wash out in soapsuds. 

No. 1.— TO REMOVE PAINT FROM GLASS. 
Ammonia applied to glass with a woolen cloth 
will remove paint. 
No.. 2.— TO REMOVE PAINT FROM GLASS. 

To remove paint from glass, dissolve some 
washing soda in very hot water and wash the 
windows with it, using soft flannel, or rub a 
dime briskly over the stain and then wash with 
turpentine. 
No. 3.— TO REMOVE PAINT FROM GLASS. 

When paint sticks to glass it can be removed 
with hot vinegar. 



1 



182 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

ODOR OF FRESH PAINT, TO REMOVE. 

One can remove the odor of fresh paint from 
a room by lea\dng there a pail of water into 
which several onions have been sliced. Hot 
weak tea is a good solution for cleaning var- 
nished paint. 

PAINT THE PANTRY SHELVES. 

Better paint the pantry shelves with white 
enamel. It is cleaner and more lasting than 
paper, and it is very attractive. 
TO REMOVE PAINT SPOTS FROM SERGE. 

To remove paint spots from serge, cover the 
spots ^\ath olive oil or fresh butter to soften, 
and if the paint is hard, let this remain on for 
some hours; then apply some chloroform care- 
fully with a clean cloth, taking care not to inhale 
the fumes. Benzine will answer if you do not 
care to use chloroform, but it is not quite so 
effective. Be careful to do the cleaning away 
from all fire. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 183 

PAINT YOUR GAS STOVE. 

Paint your gas stove with silver enamel paint 
twice a year. This keeps it in good condition, 
saves blacking, and you will not soil the dain- 
tiest dress around it. 

CLEANING A PANAMA HAT. 

Mix two ounces of flowers of sulphur with suf- 
ficient water to form a smooth paste. Spread 
evenly over the hat, and place it in a dark cup- 
board to dry. Brush off with a stiff whisk. Sul- 
phur is an excellent bleaching medium for Pan- 
ama hats, as it is not dangerous to handle, and 
does not injure the straw in any way. 
PUT PANS TO SOAK. 

Put pans to soak for a few minutes after food 
has been removed from them. Then they can 
be cleaned easily. If they are allowed to stand 
until dry, it will take much longer. 
IF A PAN IS BLACKENED OR BURNED. 

If a pan is blackened or burned, rub it with 



184 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. : 

a piece of stale bread dipped in salt. Then 
wash it in hot water and a little washing soda. 

TO CLEAN A WHITE PARASOL. 

A soiled white parasol may be cleaned easily 
and quickly by making a strong suds of good 
white soap, in which thoroughly wet a white 
cloth and apply to the parasol while open. Rub 
well and rinse in clear water. If dried quickly 
and while open, the result is very satisfactory. 
YOUR PASTE WILL NEVER SPOIL. 

Your paste will never spoil if you use vinegar 
instead of water to thin it. 

CARE OF PATENT LEATHER SHOES. 

Patent leather shoes should be carefully wiped 
off with a soft cloth when they are removed and 
then a few drops of olive oil should be rubbed 
into them.. This will keep the leather soft and 
prevent them cracking. 
PATENT LEATHER SHOES, TO CLEAN. 

Patent leather shoes are successfully cleaned 
by removing all dirt, then wiping them with a 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 185 

soft cloth dipped in milk, polish them with a 
dry cloth. The milk is valuable in preserving 
and softening the leather. 

No. 1.— TO REMOVE PEACH STAINS. 

Apply pure glycerin to table linen or clothes 
which have been stained with peaches. Let the 
glycerin remain for a short time and then wash 
in clear water. 

No. 2.— TO REMOVE PEACH STAINS. 

Camphor will remove fresh peach stains from 
linen if followed by soap and water, and also 
will remove white spots from furniture. 
PERSPIRATION STAINS. 

Wash in soapsuds and place in the sunshine. 
If the stain is stubborn wet it with borax and 
water, or ammonia and water, and spread over 
a bowl of boiling water. Apply a 10 per cent 
solution of oxalic acid, drop by drop, until the 
stain begins to brighten. Dip at once into 
water. If it does not disappear, repeat the pro- 
cess. After it is removed rinse at once thorough- 



186 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

ly, using borax or ammonia in the rinse water. 
This is to neutralize any acid that may linger. 
Oxalic acid will not injure fabrics, but it is a 
poison and should not be left around. 

No. 1.— TO CLEAN PEWTER. 

A shop which makes a specialty of genuine 
pewter ware says that in cleaning pewter whit- 
ing or any good silver powder can be used. 
The polish should, however, first be mixed with 
olive oil, machine oil or vaseline, or even kero- 
sene, and then rubbed all over the object. Then 
wipe it off and polish with the dry powder ap- 
plied with a soft cloth. 

No. 2.— TO CLEAN PEWTER. 
To clean pewter, wash the articles with hot 
water and fine silver sand; then dry and polish 
them, with a leather. 

WHEN CLEANING PICTURES. 
When cleaning pictures, write a number on 
the back of each one as you take it from the 
wall; and write the same number faintly in pen- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 187 

cil on the wall space behind it. This saves all 
trouble of trying to remember just where the 
pictures belong. Provide yourself with a flat 
stick, about forty inches long, with notched ends. 
With it pictures can be lifted, removed, and re- 
hung without the use of ladders or chairs. 
Onion water, made by boiling five or six onions 
and adding to this water enough sulphur to give 
it a decided yellow color, will clean gilt frames. 
The onion water must be used cold. 

TO PROTECT PICTURE FRAMES. 

Grate a fresh, raw onion, and apply the juice, 
full strength, with a soft, clean brush to the gilt 
frames. This not only removes all former traces 
of flies, but will prevent their alighting upon 
the frame or the picture in it. 

PICTURES, TO HANG UP. 

Pictures hung by a single wire have an annoy- 
ing way of getting uneven on account of the 
slipping of the wire on the picture hook. This 
can sometimes be avoided by first hanging the 



188 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

picture face to the wall and then turning it 
around. The single turn this makes in the wire 
near the hook prevents slipping. 

PILE PLUSH, TO RAISE. 

To raise pile-plush, sponge with chloroform. 
TO REMOVE PITCH AND TURPENTINE 

STAINS. 
• To remove pitch and turpentine stains, soften 
them with alcohol and then sponge off with more 
alcohol. 

PITCH AND PAINT STAINS, TO REMOVE. 

Another way to remove pitch and paint stains 
is to scrape off as much as possible, then soften 
the spots with olive oil or lard ; it may take sev- 
eral hours. Then soak and wash them in tur- 
pentine or chloroform. 

PITCHER THAT DRIPS. 
When there is a tendency for a pitcher to drip, 
try rubbing ever so little butter under the edge 
of the lip. 



, HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 189 

CLEANING PLASTER CASTS. 

The following is a simple but effective method 
for removing the grime which plaster statues, 
etc., gather in the atmosphere of cities. A thick 
solution of starch, such as laundresses use, is 
made and the object is covered with it, care 
being taken to have it penetrate every crevice. 
The starch paste is then allowed to dry, where- 
upon it crumbles away, carrying with it the dirt 
of the surface of the plaster. 
TO CLEAN A POLISHED TABLE THAT 
HAS BEEN MARRED. 

To clean a polished table that has been marred 
by having had a hot dish placed upon it, rub 
it with camphorated oil. 

POLISHING CUT GLASS. 

To give cut glass a very brilliant polish, wash 
it first in hot suds and then dip in cold water 
in which a handful of starch has been dissolved. 
Allow the glasses to drain before rubbing with 
a dry cloth. 



190 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

POLISHING PAD FOR SHOES. 
A polishing pad of velveteen for polishing 
black or tan shoes is a great convenience. It 
should be made of cream-colored velveteen and 
look like a small pillow about four inches long. 
PORCELAIN-LINED KETTLE THAT HAS 
GONE DRY. 

You should never turn cold water into a por- 
celain-lined kettle or tank that has gone dry, 
with a hot fire going in the range. The enamel 
will crack and perhaps peel off if you do. Shut 
off all heat possible and pour in hot water, as 
near boiling as you have it, and wait some time 
before filling it wdth the cold water. 

No. 1.— TO SEPARATE POSTAGE STAMPS. 

In damp weather postage stamps sometimes 
stick together in such a way as to be difficult 
to separate. When this happens place them on 
a newspaper in a hot oven for a few moments. 
As soon as the stamps get hot, the glue dries, 
and by pressing between the fingers it is readily 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 191 

broken and the stamps may then be easily sep- 
arated without the least damage. 
No. 2.— TO SEPARATE POSTAGE STAMPS. 

If a warm iron is passed over stamps that 
stick together, they will come apart. 
POTS AND KETTLES SHOULD NOT BE 
SCRAPED. 

Pots and kettles should not be scraped. Use 
a piece of sandpaper to remove any burned par- 
ticles or discolorations. 

PUTTY KNIFE IN THE KITCHEN. 

A putty knife, with its short handle and broad 
blade, is an indispensable tool in the kitchen. 
It may be used for turning hash, fritters, and 
fish. Its broad end is also most useful in scrap- 
ing pots and pans. 

No. 1.— TO REMOVE OLD PUTTY. 

Wring out a cloth in boiling water and place 
it over the putty to be removed. Leave for sev- 
eral minutes. Mix together equal parts of boil- 
ing water and turpentine, add a small piece of 



192 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

soda, and paint the sash. Repeat at short inter- 
vals two or three times. Leave to soak for a 
few hours. The putty will come away quite 
easily, and leave the sash perfectly clean. 
No. 2.— TO REMOVE OLD PUTTY. 
To remove old putty with little work and 
trouble, pass a hot soldering iron over it. This 
■softens it and it is easily removed. 

A GOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR A RADIATOR 

BRUSH. 

A good substitute for a radiator brush, which 
is rather expensive and which is most satisfac- 
tory, merely make a bag of outing flannel to fit 
your carpet beater and finish on the three sides 
with a narrow, full double ruffle ; fasten with a 
draw string. This cleaner can be used through 
either the lengthwise or crosswise sections of 
any radiator. 

A RAINCOAT MAY BE KEPT LOOKING 
LIKE NEW. 

A raincoat may be kept looking like new even 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 193 

in muddy weather. To clean it, first dip it in 
cold water which has been softened by borax, 
then lay it out flat and smooth upon the kitchen 
table, and with a scrubbing brush and good 
lauadry soap give it a hard scrubbing. Wlien 
the dirt is removed dip it in clean water and 
rinse it several times; then, without wringing, 
hang the coat in the air to drip and dry. Hot 
water, of course, must never be used on a rain- 
coat. 

TO CLEAN RAINCOATS. 

To clean raincoats, sponge them with a mix- 
ture of alcohol and ether, to which a tablespoon- 
ful of ammonia to a pint of liquid has been 
added. 

TO MOVE A GAS RANGE OR STOVE. 

To move a gas range or stove so that you can 
lay your carpet or oilcloth, take two round 
sticks, such as old broom handles, raise the 
stove, put one stick under each end and over 
the sticks slide a board. When the sticks and 



194 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

board are both under the stove, roll the stove 
and when the back stick comes out from under 
the board, place it in the front. Keep doing 
this until you have your stove moved as far as 
you want it. A crack in the stove may be 
patched by filling with wood ashes and salt 
moistened just enough to work well. Smooth 
down neatly and cover with blacking, and it 
will prove not only durable, but more sightly, 
as well as more safe. To put a rusty stove in 
good condition, dissolve one handful of salt in 
a pint of vinegar and wash the stove with the 
solution. Wipe dry with a flannel cloth, and 
put a few drops of turpentine in the blacking 
with which you finish off. 
THE KITCHEN RANGE SHOULD NEVER 
BE PACKED FULL OF COAL. 

The kitchen range should never be packed full 
of coal. Two inches of space should be left 
between the lids of the stove and the coal. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 195 

FOR DUSTING THE KITCHEN RANGE. 

For dusting the kitchen range nothing is bet- 
ter than a whisk broom covered with a piece of 
old black stocking. Dip in kerosene oil, then 
expose to the air until the oil has evaporated. 
Treated in this way the brush will absorb the 
dust, not scatter it. After blacking the stove, 
first rub the hands thoroughly with lard, then 
w^ash them with soap and water. 

RATTAN, BAMBOO, AND BASKETWORK, 
TO CLEAN. 

Rattan, bamboo, and basketwork furniture 
may be thoroughly cleaned by scrubbing with 
brush and salt water. 

RAW LINSEED OIL FOR WIPING OFF 
YOUR STOVE. 

If you use a cloth dampened in raw linseed 
oil for wiping off your stove, instead of bhicking, 
you will keep your hands and dishes clean. 
CARE OF REFRIGERATOR. 

The refrigerator should be Avashed with water 



196 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

in which washing soda and borax are dissolved 
tmce a week in cold weather, every other day 
in warm. 

When clean, pieces of charcoal should be laid 
in the corners to absorb the odors and keep 
place sweet. Charcoal should be renewed often. 

A ''close" smell in the refrigerator may be 
destroyed by ground coffee held therein on a 
shovel or pan nearly red hot. It should be kept 
there a few minutes. 

Butter and milk should not be kept in the 

same compartment with strong-smelling articles. 

TO REVIVE COLOR. 

Dilute household ammonia with water and 
sponge cotton, linen or woolen to restore the 
color. Use with care, but increase the strength 
of the ammonia as it is found the fabric will 
stand it. A bottle of ammonia should always, 
be on hand. 

TO REFRESHEN HAIR RIBBONS. 
Wash hair ribbons in warm suds of wool soap. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 197 

rinse in cold water and put perfectly smooth 
on a mirror or marble, satin side down. When 
dry they will come off like new. Handkerchiefs 
may also be ''ironed" in this w^ay. 

TO CLEAN RIBBONS. 

A cleaning mixture made especially for rib- 
bons consists of gin one-half pint, honey one-half 
pound, soft soap one-half pound, water one- 
eighth pint. Mix together. Scrub the soiled 
portions of the ribbon with this mixture. After- 
ward rinse in three clean waters by dipping the 
ribbon up and down in them to remove all trace 
of the cleanser. Allow the water to drip away 
from the ribbons and iron with a fairly hot iron 
under a clean muslin cloth until it is dry. . If 
it seems too wet for ironing, wipe with a cloth 
before ironing dry. 

TO CLEAN THE DOUBLE EOASTER. 

Fill the under pan half full of cold water as 
soon as the meat and gravy are removed and 
place on the front of the stove. When dinner 



198 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

is over and all the other dishes are done, clean 
the roasting pan in the usual way and you will 
have no trouble with it. 

TO PRESERVE RUBBER TUBING. 

To preserve rubber tubing when not in use, 

coil it neatly in vessels of water carrying a small 

quantity of common salt in solution. 

CARE OF RUGS. 

It is a mistake to have fine rugs vigorously 
beaten on cleaning day. The sharp beating with 
stick as the rugs hang over a line is very in- 
jurious to the fiber, and only thick, cheap rugs, 
\\dth substantial cotton woven backs, will stand 
the treatment. Whacking with the end of the 
stick is especially inimical to silk Oriental rugs 
or the soft, beautiful woven rugs which are used 
as couch covers. Such rugs should be well 
shaken and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, or a 
good carpet sweeper, and once a year should be 
sent to a professional cleaner, who will repair 
any rents or frayey places in the rug and clean 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 199 

it by a special process, which brightens the colors 
without injuring the fiber. 

Never wipe off expensive rugs with soap and 
water or sprinkle wet tea leaves over them — an 
old-fashioned cleaning day custom, which may 
have improved the terrible, flowered carpets of 
the Victorian period by softening and fading 
their strenuous colors, but which will do more 
harm than good to the soft tones of a real 
Oriental rug or an Axminster of modern, sub- 
dued coloring. If you must wipe off the rugs 
with something, use a cloth wrung out in tur- 
pentine, but beware of ammonia on soft-hued 
floor coverings, 

TO RENEW A FADED RUO. 

Tapestry brussels and similar rugs and car- 
pets may be made like new, if little worn. Buy 
a few small packages of dye and dissolve in 
enough water to wet the rug thoroughly. Spread 
on the grass, or other place outdoors, apply the 
boiling hot dye with a broom and let it dry. 
The rug will come out of the process a beautiful 



200 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

deep color of any shade you wish, and will wear 

for a long time without fading or rubbing off. 

BRIGHTENING EUGS. 

Throw coarse salt over rugs and carpets be- 
fore sweeping them to prevent the dust from 
rising. This will brighten the color also. 
TO KEEP RUGS FROM TURNING UP AT 
THE ENDS. 

To keep rugs from turning up at the ends, 
sew coat weights at each corner. They also 
keep them stationary. 

RUST, TO REMOVE. 
Nothing answers the purpose of a rust remover 
like rice. A recent stain, or one of long stand- 
ing, can easily be removed by using it. Boil a 
cup of rice in two quarts of water for thirty 
minutes. Let it stand overnight, then strain 
through a cheesecloth. Soak the ironrust spots 
in the rice water for four or five hours and then 
rinse in clear water. No matter how old the 
stains, they will be effectually removed. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 201 

TO REMOVE RUST PROM STEEL. 

To remove rust from steel, mix half an ounce 
of cyanide of potassium, half an ounce of castile 
soap, one ounce of whiting and water sufficient 
to .form a paste. Wash the steel with a solution 
of half an ounce of potassium in two ounces 
of water, then brush over with the paste. This 
receipt is given by one of the leading steel com- 
panies of the country. 

TO RESTORE RUSTY BLACK CREPE. 

Skimmed milk and water, with a bit of glue 
in it, made scalding hot, is excellent to restore 
old rusty black crepe ; if well squeezed and 
pulled dry like muslin, it will look as well as or 
better than new. 

SALT AND ALCOHOL TO REMOVE 
GREASE. 

Salt dissolved in alcohol will often remove 
grease spots from clothing. 



202 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

CLEANING SCHOOL BOOKS. 

Dust on books can best be removed by using 
bread crumbs. 

Apply a jellj^ of castile soap with a brush and 
rinse in clean water to remove finger marks. 

Grease may be removed by putting a blotting 
paper over the spot covered with talc and apply 
a hot iron, or apply benzine, putting blotting 
paper over and under the spot. 

Ordinary ink stains may be removed by put- 
ting blotting paper under the stain and apply- 
ing a weak solution of oxalic acid, followed by 
weak Javelle water. "Wash well. To remove 
marking or indelible ink, use blotting paper; 
paint the stain first with tincture of iodine and 
then with a weak solution of potassium cyanide. 
Use great care in handling the latter. 
SCOTCH, TO REMOVE. 

This can be removed if the threads are un- 
injured. Extract the juice of two onions, add 
one cup of vinegar, two ounces of fuller's earth 
and half an ounce of soap. Boil, spread over 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 203 

the scorched surface. Let it dry in the sun. 
Wash out thoroughly. 

THE BEST SCRAP BASKETS. 

The best scrap baskets are the simplest ones, 
closely woven and free from ribbons or other 
decorations. 

WHEN A SCREW BECOMES LOOSE. 

When a screw becomes loose, remove it and 
fill the hole with bits of sponge packed in tight- 
ly. Then replace the screw and it will hold as 
firmly as ever. 

CLEANING JAPANESE SCUTTLE. 

Dust the scuttle thoroughly. Mix a little 
whiting and vinegar to a paste. Rub it on with 
a piece of rug. Wipe with a soft cloth, and 
polish with a dry leather. 

SEDIMENT IN CHINA AND EARTHEN- 
WARE. 

In order to remove the disfiguring sediment 
which hard water is apt to leave upon china and 
earthenware pitchers in daily use, you should 



204 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



■ 



put into the vessel a good-sized lump of salt 
and a cup of vinegar and let it stand for half a 
day. Wash well with warm water and good 
soap at the end of that time and you will find 
the sediment comes off easily, 

TO SET COLORS. 
When washing and rinsing colored materials, 
add a tablespoonful of Epsom salts to each gal- 
lon of water, and even the most delicate shades 
will neither fade nor run. Serge and similar 
materials which have been dyed black can be 
safely washed in this way without any risk of 
the dye running. Oil of eucalyptus sponged 
gently on the spot will remove grease or oil 
stains from delicate fabrics. 

TO SET DELICATE COLORS. 

To set delicate colors in an embroidered hand- 
kerchief, soak ten minutes previous to washing 
in a pail of tepid water, in which a dessertspoon- 
ful of turpentine has been stirred. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 205 

TO SET COLORS IN NEW COTTON 
FABRICS. 

To set colors in new cotton fabrics, dissolve 
one ounce of sugar of lead in eight quarts of 
water, and soak articles in it overnight. 
SEWING MACHINE CLEANING. 

When a sewing machine works heavily, take 
out the thread and oil every part of the machine 
thoroughly with kerosene. Work briskly for 
some minutes, so that the kerosene may do its 
work of loosening all the old oil and grime, and 
then wipe carefully with a soft, old duster. 

When the kerosene has been removed, oil the 
machine again with lubricating machine oil, and 
it will then work perfectly. Be sure and use 
the lubricating oil after using the kerosene. 
SEWING MACHINE TREAD, TO MAKE IT 
MORE COMFORTABLE. 

On the tread of your sewing machine fasten 
a piece of brussels carpet. You will find it 
much more comfortable and easy to run. 



206 HOUSEHOLD "WISDOM. 

TO IMPEOVE THE APPEARANCE OF 
SHABBY LEATHER BAGS. 

To improve the appearance of shabby leather 
bags, rub them over with the well beaten white 
of an egg, and then polish with beeswax and 
turpentine. The final rubbing should be done 
with a soft, clean cloth. 

SHALLOW SHELVES FOR THE PANTRY. 

Shallow shelves are better for the pantry than 
deep ones. With the deep shelves one thing 
gets pushed behind another, and time is often 
lost looking for the hidden article. A shelf that 
is six inches wide will accommodate, with few 
exceptions, any can, carton, or container you 
may keep in the pantry, and everything is al- 
ways in view of the worker. 

TO MAKE SHIRTS WEAR LONGER. 

A small piece of muslin sewed inside the shirt 
to collar band and shoulder seam will protect 
the garment from wear of stiff collars against 
the collar-bone. The front of the piece of mus- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 207 

lin should be left loose so that it will not inter- 
fere with laundering. 

MORE COMFORTABLE SHOES. 

Paste a round piece of black velvet inside 
your low-cut shoes when they begin to stretch, 
and you will not be bothered with them slipping 
up and down. 

TO PREVENT SHRINKING. 

Paint wooden pails and tubs wdth glycerin 
to prevent shrinking. 

TO CLEAN BLACK SILK. 

To clean black silk, sponge with household 
ammonia and press while damp on the w^ong 
side of the goods. 

TO TEST SILK SAMPLE. 

To learn w^hether the silk you think of buying 
for a dress wall wear well, or whether it will 
split or crack, touch a lighted match to a piece 
of it. If it bums, but keeps its shape, you may 
know it is weighted with minerals and will crack 
in the wearing. If it melts down in burning 



208 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

and runs together in a puify mass, it is pure 
and should wear well. 

TO TEST SILK AND WOOL. 

A small sample boiled in a strong solution of 
caustic soda is a perfect test for wool or worsted 
fabric. When boiling, a porcelain lined vessel 
is absolutely necessary. The caustic soda eats 
put all the animal matter of the fabric, leaving 
the vegetable fiber untouched and thus showing 
the proportion of wool in the goods and the 
amount of cotton threads, if the cloth is en- 
tirely eaten away it is evident it was all wool. 
No. 1.— CLEANING SILVER. 

A simple and efficacious way of cleaning sil- 
ver is to make a solution of baking soda and salt, 
allowing a teaspoonful of each to a quart of 
water. Put this solution in an aluminum pan 
or kettle and, when it boils, drop the silver in 
for an instant. Have another pan of hot water 
handy for rinsing purposes. On taking the sil- 
ver from the soda mixture, drop it in the rins- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 209 

ing water, remove, and wipe dry. No further 
polishing will be necessary and all tarnish and 
stains will have disappeared. 

No. 2.— CLEANING SILVER. 

Precipitated chalk is excellent for cleaning 
tarnished silver. Place a little in a saucer and 
add just enough liquid ammonia to moisten it. 
Rub this lightly over the silver, and the stains 
will quickly disappear. Then wash in hot suds, 
dry carefully, and polish with a clean chamois 
leather. 

SILVER HINTS. 

If table silver is placed in hot soapsuds im- 
mediately after being used and dried with a 
soft cloth, much of the work of polishing will 
be saved. 

SILVER NOT TO TURN DARK. 

A few pieces of gun camphor kept in the boxes 
in which silver is packed in wrappings will pre- 
vent its turning dark. 



210 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TO MAKE A SILVER POLISH. 

To make a silver polish, take one pound of, 

whiting, pour over it a pint of boiling water 

and when cold add one ounce of ammonia. This 

will keep bottled or in a glass for a long time. 

TO KEEP SILVER BRIGHT. 

Place in a cardboard box a layer of ordinary 
flour, then lay the forks and spoons upon it, and 
cover thickly with flour. They will remain quite 
bright for any length of time. 

A GOOD DISINFECTANT FOR A SINK. 

A good disinfectant for a sink is to put two 
tablespoonfuls of soda and a teaspoonful of am 
monia in one gallon of boiling water. Pour 
this down the sink. 

ENAMELED SINK, TO CLEAN. 

Coal oil will clean badly discolored enamelec 
sinks or bathtubs, and also will remove fresh 
paint stains. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 211 

SINK, TO CLEAN AND SWEETEN. 

Nothing will clean and sweeten a sink better 
than a strong solution or washing soda, and the 
refrigerator likewise should frequently be 
washed with this. 

TO PRESS SKIRTS. 
To press skirts always lay a damp cotton 
cloth over the material, so that it will not be 
touched by the iron. This prevents the ma- 
terial from becoming shiny. 

TO REMOVE SMOKE MARKS ON WALLS. 

To remove smoke marks on walls and ceilings, 
make a paste of starch and water and spread 
it on with a piece of flannel. Allow it to dry 
and then dust it off with a soft brush. 

TO MAKE SOAP JELLY. 

To make soap jelly, so often recommended in 

the cleaning of delicate things, melt any good 

laundry soap in water over a hot fire until it 

becomes liquid. When cold it will form a jelly, 



212 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

and should be molded in small .jars for use at 
various times when required. 

SOAP MAKING EASY. 

There is always an accumulation of grease 
which can not be used for cooking purposes. I 
have a five-pound pail which I keep just for 
my soap grease, and into this I strain all the 
grease which I do not wish to use otherwise. 

I strain it so that it may be perfectly clean 
always and free from sediment. 

When the pail is full I collect my other in- 
gredients ; one-half can of lye, one tablespoonf ul 
of borax, one quart of cold water. 

Dissolve the lye in cold water, using a large 
dishpan, and add the borax. The lye makes 
the water hot, and while it is cooling melt the 
grease in another large pan, slowly and without 
getting it too hot. 

When the water is cool and the grease melted, 
pour together and stir until thoroughly mixed, 
then pour into a large dripping pan and when 
cool cut into cakes. It needs to stand for about 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 213 

two weeks to become sufficiently hard, so that 
it will not dissolve too rapidly when put into 
water. 

Now, this is the soap I use for my furniture 
cleaning. You look surprised? Well, I liter- 
ally wash my furniture; yes, even my finest old 
mahogany. I do not make a heavy suds, just 
enough soap to make the water bluish; then I 
wring a cheesecloth out of this, making it almost 
dry, and rub briskly a section of wood. 

Do not make the mistake of washing the whole 
surface before polishing with the damp chamois, 
for that will make streaks. 

TO PREVENT THE ODOR OF SOAP. 

The odor of soap that often clings to clothes 
is not at all desirable. A lump of orris root 
put in the rinsing water for fine pieces such 
as handkerchiefs, lingerie, and blouses will give 
a delicate violet perfume more permanent than 
that of the ordinary sachet. 



214 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

SOILED SPOTS MAY BE REMOVED FEOM 
WHITE SILK, 

Soiled spots may be removed from white silk 
or satin by rubbing them with a fine flannel 
cloth dipped in a little alcohol or ether. 
TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF SPONGES. 

To take proper care of sponges, wash them in 
"warm water in which a small quantity of tar- 
taric acid has been dissolved. This will keep 
them soft and in good color. Be careful not to 
use too much tartaric acid, or it will spoil the 
sponges. 

TO BLEACH SPONGES. 

To bleach sponges, soak them in a solution of 
one ounce of chloride of lime and a half ounce 
of tartaric acid to the gallon of water. 

TO SPONGE A SILK DRESS. 

Water in which potatoes have been boiled 
is the best thing with which to sponge and revive 
a silk dress. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 215 

WHEN YOU SPONGE CLOTHES. 

The troublesome rings which often appear on 
clothes after they have been sponged with gaso- 
line or naphtha can be avoided by adding a 
couple of tablespoonfuls of table salt to the 
cleansing fluid. 

SPOTS OF ICE CREAM ON A SILK DRESS. 

Spots of ice cream on a silk dress should be 
sponged carefully with clear warm water to dis- 
solve the sugar, then use naphtha or ether for 
the grease. Have a soft pad of absorbent cot- 
ton under the spot and rub with the naphtha 
in an ever-widening circle, so that no mark will 
be left. Use just enough of the chemical to 
dampen the silk, not to make it sopping wet. 
FOR SPOTS ON FURNITURE. 

Make a dressing of one part of spirits of tur- 
pentine and three parts of linseed oil, and shake 
thoroughly before using. Rub on briskly to re- 
move spots, and rub the wood dry with a piece 
of clean flannel^ 



216 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

SPOTTED GLOVES. 

JManj^ a girl lias had pairs of kid gloves ruined 
simply because she did not know how to save 
them. 

If gloves spotted by rain or other water are 
allowed to dry there is no hope for them. 

They are irreparably ruined. 

But, if while they are still damp, they are 
kept on the hands and rubbed gently with a 
damp cloth, the spots will disappear. 

There is no use trying gasoline, benzine, or 
anything else for water spots. A cloth damp- 
ened in the plain water, but not wet, is the 
remedy. 

STAINED CHINA. 

Your cups stain probably because you drink 
very strong tea. The best way of removing 
these unsightly marks is to rub them with a 
moistened cloth dipped in salt. Powdered bath- 
brick will remove those of long standing which 
will not yield to the salt treatment. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 217 

TO REMOVE STAINS. 

To remove stains, tie securely a tablespoonful 
of cream of tartar in the part of the garment 
that is stained, then boil it in the usual manner. 

STAINS ON BAKING DISHES. 
Powdered bath brick rubbed on with a damp 
cloth will burn stains from baking dishes. 
TO REMOVE CHOCOLATE STAINS. 
To remove chocolate stains from white dresses 
or table linen, sprinkle the stain thickly with 
borax, place a saucer beneath it and pour on 
just enough water to moisten. Leave for sev- 
eral hours and then wash. 

STAINS ON FLANNELS. 

Stains on flannels may be removed by apply- 
ing yolks of eggs and glycerin in equal quanti - 
ties. Leave for half an hour and then wash out. 
TO REMOVE GRASS STAIN FROM 
WHITE MATERIAL. 

To remove grass stain from white material, 
wet with alcohol and rinse in clear water. 



218 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

KEROSENE FOR GRASS STAINS. 

Any linen article that has become grass 
stained should be saturated ^vith kerosene and 
then washed in ver^^ hot water with plenty of 
soap. 
TO REMOVE OBSTINATE GRASS STAINS. 

To remove obstinate grass stains, cover the 
stains with common cooking molasses and let 
it stand for two or three hours, then wash out 
in luke warm water. 

TO REMOVE IODINE STAINS. 

To remove tincture of iodine stains from your 
skin or clothing strong ammonia water is excel- 
lent. 

MACHINE OIL STAINS. 

Yellow machine oil stains on white material 
may be removed by rubbing the spot with a 
cloth wet with ammonia before using soap. 

STAINS ON MIRROR GLASSES. 

Stains on mirror glasses can be removed with 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 219 

a flannel cloth dampened with spirits of cam- 
phor. 

TO REMOVE NAIL STAINS FROM WOOD. 

To remove nail stains from wood, scrub the 
stains w^ith a solution of oxalic acid, half a pint 
of acid to a quart of boiling water. 

OVERCOAT COLLAR STAINS, TO 
REMOVE. 

A cloth dipped in ammonia will often remove 
stains from the collar of an overcoat. 

STAINS RESULTING FROM POTATO 
PARINGS. 

Lemon juice is invaluable in removing stains 
resulting from potato paring or fruit picking. 
First dip the fingers in salt, and then apply the 
lemon. 

TO REMOVE SOOT STAINS. 

To remove soot stains, rub wdth dry salt or 
dry cornmeal before washing. Or saturate the 
spot with ether and put a cup over it to prevent 
evaporation until the stain disappears, 



220 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TABLECLOTH AND NAPKIN STAINS. 

Remove stains and grease from tablecloths 
and napkins as follows : 

Machine oil — Clean with gasoline. Wash 
with white soap and cold water. 

Paint stains — Soak in turpentine until soft, 
then swab with alcohol. 

Ice cream — Soak in clear cold water for an 
hour. 

Fruit stains — Soak fresh stains in cold water 
half an hour, pour boiling water through them, 
dry quickly. If above fails use javelle water. 
Cover spots with tomato juice and salt. Leave 
in bright sunshine with a bright tin plate under- 
neath. Cover spots with salt and vinegar. 
Leave two hours in sun. Cut an apple in halves, 
lay stain over cut surface; leave in sunshine. 
This must be followed by thoroughly washing 
in cold water to avoid apple stain. 

Acid discolorations — Use ammonia, followed 
with alcohol and water dabbed on lightly. 

Wine stains-yWet with alcohol or whiskj^ 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 221 

soak in cold water one hour. Pour boiling 
water through them, holding cloth taut; dry 
before doing up. 

Ink stains — Wet stains first with boiling 
water; dip in oxalic acid solution; hold stain 
in steam of kettle for several minutes; wash 
thoroughly in clear very hot water. 

STEAMING VELVET. 

Instead of using a flatiron to steam velvet, 
try a soapstone and see how much better and 
smoother the velvet will be. 

TO CLEAN STEEL KNIVES. 

A large cork moistened and dipped in pow- 
dered bath brick will clean steel knives used in 
the kitchen. 
TO KEEP STOPPERS FROM STICKING. 

A very little glycerin smeared around the 
glass stoppers of bottles will keep them from 
sticking for a long time. 

STOVE WISDOM. 

In this era of the gas range, the city cook who 



222 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

moves into a rural district where there is no gas 
often is at a loss to know how to manage the 
coal stove properly. Indeed, many persons who 
have always used a coal stove do not know how 
to manage it properly. 

In the first place you should familiarize your- 
self thoroughly with the use of the various 
draughts and dampers. 

DRAUGHTS AND DAMPERS. 

Near the top of any coal or wood stove or 
range is a damper which opens a direct passage 
into the pipe ; and in the handling of this damper 
lies the control of your coal bill. When this 
is carelessly managed the heat from tons of coal 
will be wasted through the chimney. Under 
the fire box is the slide which supplies the neces- 
sary fresh air and the oven damper controls 
the heated air, turning it away from the pipe. 
The best way to economize heat is to let the fire 
get a good start and then close the draughts 
tightly until the heat is needed. 

In building a fire first see that all ashes are 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 22^ 

removed from the stove; then close all the 
draughts and lay small pieces of kindling wood 
and twisted paper in the firebox ; sprinkle a 
little coal over the top, open the draughts and 
damper and light the paper. Add coal in small 
amounts as the fire burns down. 

HEAT, TO BE SENT AROUND THE OVE^. 
After the fire is well started turn the oven 
dampers so that the heat will be sent around the 
ovens and close the chimney damper. 
KIND OF FUEL TO USE. 

Anthracite coal is difficult to kindle, but it 
is the cleanest and the most economical in spite 
of its higher cost, as it gives out an intense heat 
with little flame. However, if the cost is too 
high, a free-burning variety of soft coal can be 
used. Pea coal and coke, mixed, is a satisfactory 
fuel. 
BLACKBOARD ERASER FOR THE STOVE. 

The trial that many housewives have in keep- 
ing the kitchen range clean may be lightened by 



224 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



% 



using a blackboard eraser to rub over the stove 
daily. 

TO BLACKEN RUSTY STOVE. 

To blacken rusty stoves, dissolve a handful 
of salt in a pint of vinegar and wash the stove 
with the solution. Wipe dry with a flannel 
cloth and then put a few drops of turpentine 
in the blacking with which you finish off. 
SELECTING A RANGE. 

Select a range that is simple in construction 
and be sure that you thoroughly understand 
its management before purchasing. The ash box 
should be large, the dampers easy to operate, 
and all parts of the range so designed that they 
are easy to clean. 

TO SECURE SHINING RESULTS. 

To secure a shining result, wipe off the stove 
with vinegar before putting polish on it. 
STEEL RANGE WITH HOOD IS MOST 
DESIRABLE. 

A steel range ^ith a hood is the most desirable. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 225 

The hood collects the odors of cooking and the 
excessive heat that otherwise passes out into the 
kitchen and sends them up the chimney. 
STOVE BLACKING AND CLEAN HANDS. 

Before blacking a stove first rub the hands 
with vaseline, then put on a mit, glove, or old 
stocking, and use a paint brush for applying 
the blacking and polishing brush to polish. Mix 
soft soap with blacking. When the work is fin- 
ished clean your hands w^ith soap, water, a little 
kerosene, and a nailbrush. 

TO ECONOMIZE ON STOVE POLISH. 

P To economize on stove polish and also to save 
labor in polishing the stove, mix the polishing 
paste with dry soap powder. Any sort of soap 
powder answers the purpose, and the shine ob- 
tained is far better than when the polish alone 
is used. 

^ TO KEEP THE STOVE CLEAN. 

To keep the stove clean, rub off all grease 
with newspaper w^hile the stove is still hot. 



226 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

When the stove needs polishing, use a paint 
brush and thus avoid getting one's hands soiled. 
You can also reach the small crevices more 
readily with the brush. When taking up ashesj 
if you dampen a newspaper and cover the ash 
pail you will not be troubled with the ashes fall- 
ing over everything. 

MICA IN STOVES, WHEN SMOKED. 

Mica in stoves, when smoked, is readily 
cleaned by taking it out and thoroughly washing 
with vinegar a little diluted. If the black does 
not come off at once, let it soak a little. 
THE STOVE FRONT CAN BE PAINTED. 

The stove front can be painted with black 
stove enamel instead of blacking it daily. 

LESS SOOT WILL COLLECT. m\ 

If a strong brine of salt and water is thrown 
over the coals, less soot will collect in the flues 
and chimneys. The fire, too, will burn clear and 
bright. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 227 

TO KEEP THE FIRE GOING. 

To keep the fire going, shake down the ashes, 
put in more coal and open the slide over the 
coal to let in more air and check the force of 
the fire. The chimney damper always should 
be opened w^hen fresh coal is put on and the 
ashes should be thoroughly shaken down before- 
hand. 

WASTE OF FUEL. 
' Filling the firebox to the top means a waste 
,of fuel; the draught is lessened and the coal 
wasted. Fresh coal should be added before the 
^coals turn white, and a little fuel added fre- 
c[uently is the best way of keeping up a fire 
^that must be practically in continual use. 
TO PREVENT BLACK STOCKINGS FAD- 
ING. 
t To prevent black stockings fading, or the dye 
'running from them., wash them in strong salt 
Hvater when washing them for the first time, 

:hen dry them and wash again in another solu- 

:ion, finishing in clear water. 






228 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

THE SUMMER CUETAINS. 

Chintz, cretonne, muslin, scrim, and net cu 
tains may all be done up at home by a tolerabl; 
efficient laundress, but lace curtains are a more 
difficult matter — a point to remember when buy^ 
ing. 

TO RENOVATE TAFFETA. 

To renovate taffeta that has become wrinkled 
and lacking in erispness, lay it over an ironing 
board and go over it with alcohol and hang it 
in the air to dry. 

TAM-O'-SHANTER, NOT TO SHRINK. 

To prevent tam-o'-shanter that has to b 
washed from shrinking, dry it over a dinne 
plate. 

TO CLEAN TARNISHED GOLD LACE. 

Powdered rock ammonia applied with a soft 
brush will clean tarnished gold lace and em 
broidery. 

TAR MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE 
HANDS. 

Tar may be -removed from the hands by rub 



1 



' 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 229 

bing with the outside of fresh orange or lemon 
peel and drying immediately. The volatile oils 
dissolve tar so that it can be rubbed off. 
CLEANING TATTING. 

Almost everyone who has tried to clean tat- 
ting by washing it knows it is almost impossible 
to restore the picots to their natural shape in 
this way. A better way is to soak the tatting 
in gasoline and while they are wet dust all the 
pieces with cornstarch. Wrap them in a clean 
towel and leave them for several hours. Beat 
the towel lightly, lift out the lace and shake it 
free of starch. Press the picots into shape and 
iron lightly on the wrong side. 

TEA AND CHOCOLATE STAINS. 

Sprinkle wdth borax and soak in cold water. 
Glycerin will aid in removing tea stains. Soak 
the spot in glycerin, then w^ash. 

TEA AND COFFEE STAINS. 

When next potatoes are boiled, strain the 
water and save it. Then pour the water into 



230 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

a clean white bowl and dip the stained part o: 
the linen into it. Allow the linen to stand ii 
the water until the spots disappear. Thei 
lamider the linen as usual. 

If the potato water fails to take the stains 
out, try ammonia or spirits of wine. Give th( 
spots a liberal dose of either, and rub out well 
Rinse very carefully before putting into th( 
wash. 

"When the piece has gone through the various 
tubbings, bluings, etc., and has been ironed, yoi 
will find there is no trace of the ugly spots. 

TEA AND COFFEE STAINS OF LONG 
STANDING. 

To take tea and coffee stains of long standing 
out of a fabric, apply a mixture composed o: 
the yolk of an egg stirred in a cup of tepid water 
to which a few drops of glycerin have beei 
added. Rub the mixture well into the stain 
then wash thoroughly with warm water. 
TO CLEAN TENNIS BALLS. 

Mix pipe-clay with enough water to form 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 231 

smooth paste ; add to this a melted tallow candle 
and allow it to cool. Then brush all the dust 
off the balls, take a lump of the pipe-clay tallow 
mixture and dissolve it in cold water to the con- 
sistency of cream. Apply to the balls with a 
sponge, let dry and wipe off gently. 

No. 1.— TO CLEAN TINWARE. 

To clean tinware dampen a cloth, dip it in 
common soda and rub the ware briskly, after 
which wipe dry. 

No. 2.— TO CLEAN TINWARE. 

Tinware may be cleaned with very little trou- 
ble by using dry flour applied with a piece of 
newspaper. 

VASELINE SPOTS, TO TAKE OUT. 

Kerosene will take vaseline spots out, if it is 
applied before the spots have been washed. 
VASES HAVING LONG NECKS, TO CLEAN. 

Vases having long necks can be cleaned by 
filling them with clear hot water and small bits 



232 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

of paper. Vigorously shaken, the paper washes 
away grime and sediment. 

TO CLEAN VARNISHED FURNITURE. 

One of the best ways to clean varnished fu 
niture (when there are no scratches deeper than 
the varnish on it) is to wash it with warm suds, 
or clean it with gasoline or turpentine. Polish 
with turpentine and crude oil, equal parts, 05 
equal parts of alcohol, olive oil, and vinegar 
TO WASH VARNISHED PAPER. 

To wash varnished wall paper, use two table 
spoonfuls of liquid ammonia to about half i 
pailful of warm water, applied with a soft flan 
nel or sponge. Then wipe the wall down witl 
a chamois leather, wrung out of clean water to 
which has been added two tablespoonfuls 
turpentine. The turpentine gives a beautifu 
polish to the paper. 

TO WASH VARNISHED WOOD. 

To wash varnish, steep some tea leaves ii 
water for an h.our, then strain them out and us( 



I 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 233 

the liquid for washing the varnished wood. This 
decoction is superior to soap and water — it gives 
the woodwork a cleaner, fresher look. 

TO REMOVE VARNISH STAINS ON 
CLOTH. 

To remove varnish stains on cloth, soak with 
alcohol and rub with a clean cloth. If the color 
is affected, sponge with chloroform, unless the 
color is blue, in which case use vinegar. 
WHEN BURNING VEGETABLE REFUSE. 

When burning vegetable refuse in stove or 
furnace, put a handful of salt into the fire with 
it and there will be no unpleasant odor. 
THE CARE OF VEILS. 

Put the veil on carefully, to keep it from tear- 
ing. The sharp bits of straw around the edge 
of the hat brim often damage a veil irreparably 
at the first wearing. But a little care in putting 
it on will do away with this. 

Never push a veil up from the face and then 
remove the hat. The temptation then is to leave 



234 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

the veil on the hat. Instead, remove the veil 
first and carefully pull it into shape. Then roll 
it or fold it. Perhaps the best way is to roll 
it, holding one side of it in each hand and 
stretching it sidewise as you roll. 

Pasteboard cylinders can be used to hold veils 
and these help to keep them smooth and freshi 

Be especially careful to fold or roll the vei 

immediately on coming into the house on a rainy 

or damp day, as the dampness softens the veil 

CLEANING VEILS. 

To clean any kind of veil, let lie in alcohol 
for a short time, then souse them up and down 
until all the dirt is out. Avoid wringing, as it 
is liable to tear the mesh. Pat the fluid out 
shake well and dry. The veil will look as good 
as new after this treatment. 

TO RENOVATE VELVET BOWS. 

If you wish to freshen crushed velvet bowsi 

without untying them, heat a curling iron, covei 

it with a damp cloth and ipsert in the loops o 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 235 

the bow, opening the curler wide. The steam 
causes the nap to rise, and after brushing with 
a soft whisk the bows will look as well as when 
they were new. 

VELVET, TO CLEAN. 

Velvet can be cleaned by rubbing with a cloth 
that has been dipped in powdered magnesia. 
Shake occasionally and when entirely gone over 
brush with rather a stiff brush. 

TO FRESHEN VELVET. 

The usual way to steam velvet is over a hot 
flatiron, covered with a wet cloth. Another way 
is to dampen evenly the back of the velvet and 
use no cloth, or it may be held before the spout 
of a kettle in the steam. The best way, how- 
ever, is to put a large wet cloth upon the top 
of the range or stove, that is not hot but just 
warm, and lay the velvet upon this. In this 
way the velvet can lie there and steam thorough- 
ly, and so get the pile well raised without steam- 
ing the hands and face. To steam more slowly 



I 



236 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 



and keep the cloth from drying too soon, put a 
stout paper beneath it. 

TO CLEAN A VIOLIN. 

To clean a violin, wash it very carefully with 
soap and water, seeing to it that not a drop 
runs inside, or dip a piece of soft silk in paraf- 
fin oil and rub the violin with it. The interior 
of the violin should be cleaned with dry rice. 
WAGON GREASE. 

Soften with lard or oil and wash in soap and 
water. 

GREASE ON WALL PAPER. 

Place a piece of blotting paper over the spot 
and use a warm iron to press it with. The 
grease should be absorbed by the blotting paper. 
Change it until all grease is gone. 

FOR WALL PAPER PATCHES. 

When the wall paper chances to need a patch, 
and the new paper is conspicuously bright com- 
pared with the old, hang the new piece in the 
sunshine, watch .closely and you will find that it 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 287 

will soon sun-tone to match the old paper. Yoa 
may then patch your wall and the patch will be 
hardly noticeable. 

HOW TO CLEAN WALL PAPER. 

Ordinary wall paper may be cleaned with 
dough, or rubbed with a soft, clean flannel dip- 
ped in fine oatmeal. 

WASH BOILER, NOT TO RUST. 

To prevent the wash boiler from rusting, wipe 
dry after using and then rub well with soap 
before putting it away. 

WASH CLOTH, TO MAKE. 

A nice wash cloth is made from six or eight 
thicknesses of white mosquito netting. White 
mercerized cotton can be quickly put around 
the edge in button-hole stitch with a crochet 
hook, 

WASHING FLOORS. 

If two pieces of soft cloth are folded in several 
thicknesses and placed over the knees, under 
the stockings, the relief experienced when wash- 



238 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

ing floors will be great. Some women attach 
long handle to the scrub brush and use this 
brush for scrubbing and a mop for rinsing the 
floor, and in this way are saved the discomfort 
of kneeling. 

WHEN WASHING HAIR. 
To prevent tangling, when washing the hair, 
at the last rinsing float the hair out straight 
in the water, then comb it but while dripping, 
and it will not tangle and pull out as it does 
when dried before combing. 

WASHING KNITTED GLOVES. 

First, one should make a very warm soapy 
lather, and in another basin prepare the rinsing 
water of the same temperature, having a large 
teaspoonful of glycerin mixed in it. Immerse 
the gloves in the soapy water; do not rub them, 
but squeeze the water through several times, 
then squeeze out as much as possible and rinse 
through the other water. Again squeeze as dry 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 239 

as possible, pull the fingers into shape and hang 
the glove before the fire to dry. 

TO WASH SILK GLOVES. 
Wash white silk gloves in warm soapsuds, 
rinse and hang in a dark room to dry. It is 
the light which turns them yellow. The best 
time to wash them is at night. They will then 
be dry by morning and white as when new. 

WASHING SODA, NOT TO USE ON CHINA. 

Washing soda should not be used on china, 
as it will take off the gilt. Try clear, hot water, 
but not hot enough to crack the china. 
EASILY MADE WASTE BASKET. 

Cut a strip of linoleum, about fourteen inches 
wide and thirty-five inches long, first marking it 
with a pencil and yardstick to get the lines 
straight. With a punch make holes along one 
side edge and both end edges. Cut a disk of 
wood for the bottom. Lace the side with leather 
strips or stout brown ribbon, and the top, over 



240 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. • 

and over for a binding. Tack the linoleum to 
the wooden bottom with brass-headed tacks. 
WATERPROOF APRONS. 

Waterproof aprons are useful sometimes and 
may be made from an old raincoat. 

TO WATERPROOF SUIT CASES. 

Suit cases and handbags of straw matting or 
•similar material can be made waterproof and 
improved in appearance and usefulness by giv- 
ing them a coat of cheap wagon varnish. This 
causes them to shed water, and should be done 
once a year. A good Avetting usually spoils the 
unvarnished matting cases. 

WHALEBONE RENEWED. 

Bent whalebones can be straightened by soak- 
ing them in boiling water for a few moments 
and then ironing them straight. 

WHITE COQUE, MARABOU, ETC., TO 
CLEAN. 

White coque, marabou, and ostrich feathers 
may be cleaned in hot soapsuds, which will re- 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 241 

store them to their original pure, fresh white- 
ness. Fill a bowl with hot water and make the 
suds with some good white soap. Shake the 
feathers up and down many times, then drain off 
the water and repeat the process again, using 
hot, soapy water. After several changes rinse 
the feathers in clear hot water, again draining 
off and renewing the water frequently. Do not 
be dismayed at the bedraggled look of the feath- 
ers after their bath. Remember that the fowl 
from which they were plucked was accustomed 
to the rain and that the feathers Avill return to 
their former beauty as soon as dry. The fluffi- 
ness will come back when the feathers have been 
thoroughly heated, for they must be dried by 
being held over a fire, stove, register, or steam 
radiator. They must be as carefully and con- 
stantly shaken while drying as while being 
washed. 
No. 1.— CLEANING WHITE FELT HATS. 

To clean a white felt hat, make a paste of 
pulverized pipe-clay and water, spread it on 



242 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

the hat and let it dry. When dry, brush off 
with a whisk broom. 

No. 2.— CLEANING WHITE FELT HATS. 

To clean them, brush them thoroughly with 
a soft clean brush ; then take some flour which 
has been dried in a slow oven, mix it with bread 
crumbs and rub this into the felt with your 
hands. When all marks have disappeared, 
brush the hat briskly. 

WHITE GLOVES, TO CLEAN. 

A mixture of finely powdered fuller's earth 
and alum is excellent for cleaning white gloves. 
It should be rubbed in well, then brushed off 
and the gloves sprinkled with dry bran and whit- 
ing. 

WHITE PAPER ON REFRIGERATOR 
SHELVES. 

Keep white paper on each shelf of the refrig- 
erator. It gives a clean appearance and keeps 
things from dropping on the shelf below. 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 243 

TO CLEAN WHITE^ VESTS. 

To clean white vests, use block magnesia, rub- 
bing it in well and freely. Put the vest in a 
drawer for several days ; then beat and brush it. 
TO PEEVENT WHITEWASH FROM RUB- 
BING OFF. 

To prevent whitewash from rubbing off, add 
alum to it in proportion to one ounce of alum 
to every pound of whitewash. 

TO CLEAN WHITE WOODWORK. 
Use whiting and water and a soft cloth. This 
does not destroy the paint as a more vigorous 
cleanser does. But if there are outside white 
window sills to be cleaned, and they are very 
much soiled by exposure to the weather, use 
ammonia and water. Be careful in using it, 
as it removes some of the paint as well as the 
dirt. 

TO CLEANSE ARTICLES MADE OF 
WHITE ZEPHYR. 

To cleanse articles made of white zephyr, rub 



244 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

in flour and magnesia, changing often. Shake 
off the mixture and hang article in the sun. 
WINDOWS IN WINTER. 

Cold days window cleaning is a hard task at 
best, and sometimes seems useless, for as soon 
as the windows are cleaned a rain or snow storm 
undoes all the work. Moisten a cloth with de- 
natured alcohol, going over the window quickly 
with this and then polishing with a dry cloth. 
The glass is brilliant, never cloudy, and one pint 
of alcohol, which is very cheap, will do twenty 
windows. 

TO CLEAN WINDOWS. 

To clean windows satisfactorily, a little tur- 
pentine dissolved in warm water is the best 
thing to use. 

WINDOW WASHING. 

Wash windows with a good scouring soap, 
rinse and then rub with a flannel cloth wet in 
vinegar. Dry thoroughly with an old stocking 
leg. The vinegar gives a splendid polish and 



HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 245 

the stocking will not leave lint. Hot vinegar 
will remove paint from windows. 

TO CLEAN WIRE SCREENS. 

To clean wire screens, dampen cotton cloth 
with kerosene and rub both sides. This also 
preserves the wire and keeps the flies away, as 
they do not like the odor. 

TO CLEAN WOODWORK. 

Vinegar is excellent for cleaning woodwork. 
Dampen a flannel cloth with it, and when the 
cloth becomes soiled, wash it out in clear water, 
and then dip it again in the vinegar and proceed 
with the work. 

TO REMOVE WRINKLES FROM A GAR- 
MENT. 

To remove wrinkles from a garment, hang it 
in the bathroom, over the tub, close the windows 
and door, and turn on the hot water; let it re- 
main there for two or three hours, then hang 
out in the fresh air. 



246 HOUSEHOLD WISDOM. 

TO REMOVE STAINS FROM ZINC 
TABLES. 
To remove stains from the tops of zinc kitchen 
tables, use a cloth dipped in vinegar. 

TO BRIGHTEN ZINC. 

To brighten zinc, rub it with soft soap and 
sand. 



i 



Index. 



Household Wisdom. 

Acid on clothes, to 

prevent damage 

;by 3 

Ailing plants 3 

Ants killed by gas_ 3 

Ants destroyed or 

driven away 4 

Asbestos pad for 

table 6 

Autumn leaves, to 

preserve, No. 1. _ 7 
Autumn leaves, to 

preserve. No. 2. _ 7 
Axle grease, to re- 
move 7 

Bake pans, siauce- 

pians, etc., need 

an extra bath 8 

Bath, bag that is re- 
freshing 8 

Bath, a kitten 9 

Biathtu'b, enameled 
Oir porcelain, to 
clean 9 

Bedbugs, to exter- 
minate 9 

Bedmaking 12 



Page 

Bedsprings, to clean 13 

Birthstone, month, 
stone and mean- 
ing 13 

Bleach cotton goods 14 

Blood stains, to re- 
move 14 

Blouse (white), to 

clean 15 

Blue, not to fad© _ 15 

Bottles, to clean — 15 

Bottle labels, to re- 
move 15 

Bottom cellar step 
should be painted 16 

Bran, for cleaning- 16 

Brass, to clean 16 

Bra,ss, nor\verpots, 

to clean 17 

Brass that is very 
discolored 17 

Brass lamp bowls, 
to clean :_ 17 

Brass that has been 
exposed to the 
weather 17 

Brass, to clean 
quickly and eco- 

nomdoally 18 

247 



248 



INDEX. 



Bride's bouquet, to 

preserve 18 

Bronze, to clean 18 

Bronze ornaments, 
to clean 19 

Bronze statuary, to 
clean 19 

Brooms, to keep in 
proper shape 19 

Brooms, to last 
longer 19 

Brooms, tbrushes, 
and mops can be 
hung up 20 

Brown leather bags, 
to polish 20 

Brushes, to clean 20 

Brushinig a room 20 

Oampfire remnants_ 21 

Candle shades made 
to suit the occa- 
sion 21 

Candles too big for 
the holder 22 

Carpet cleaning 22 

Carpets (shabby), 

to brighten 23 

Carpets, grease 

spots on 24 

Carpet, grease or oil 
spillel on 24 



Carpet or rug, to 
sweep 24 

Carpet sweeper, to 
clean 24 

Cayenne pepper, 

enemy of mice 25 

Cement, homemade 25 

Chamois skins, to 
clean . 27 

Chigger and a 
weapon to com- 
bat him 28 

Chimney s ( lamp ) , 

to toughen 29 

China bric-a-brac, 

dusting 29 

Clocks, care of 29 

Clocks, to clean 29 

Clocks with lumi- 
nous hands 30 

Clocks for traveling 30 

Closetless bedroom_ 31 

Clothes pins and 
clotheslines, to 
preserve 32 

Cockroaches, to ex- 
termdnate 32 

Cockroaches, to trap 33 

Coffee and fruit 
stains, to remove 34 

Coffee stains on 

cups and saucers 34 



INDEX. 



249 



Cold box, to make- 34 
Color, restoring to 

cotton that has 

faded 36 

Fabrics ooloT^d 

with aniline dyes 36 

Ooanbs, to last 36 

Cooking utensils, to 

clean 37 

Copper, easily 

cleaned 37 

Copper cooking ves- 
sels, (to clean 37 

Corks in the house- 37 
Corks that are too 

large 38 

Corks can be made 

airtight 38 

Corks a sulbstitute 

for glass stopper 38 
Corks for scouring 

kitchen knives __ 39 
Corroded water 

pitchers, to clean 39 
Cotton filling thiat 

is damp 39 

Cotton flannel 

broom bag, to 

make 40 

Cracked wall or 

ceiling, to repair 40 
Crepe paper, uses 

of 41 



Crocheting, hint — 42 
Cruets, to keep 

clean 42 

Cuff protector 42 

Cushion, for travel- 
ing 43 

Decorate candles -- 43 
Dining room furni- 
ture 43 

Dish mops can be 
used for other 

purposes 44 

Dish washing sug- 
gest ions 44 

Doorsteps, to 

whiten 45 

Dripping candles 45 

Drooping ferns, to 

revive 46 

Dry sand, uses of _ 47 
Dusting can be 

made easier 47 

Dyes made a^t home 48 

Home dyed fabrics 48 

Niatural dyes 49 

Treasures froim nat- 
ure _ 50 

Oold green 50 

Green 51 

Iron buff 51 

Miscellaneous colors 52 

Purple 52 

Wlalnut dye 52 



250 



INDEX. 



YeUow 53 

Yellow brown 54 

Oominercdal dyes 55 

Dyeing coittoji lor 

mixed goods 56 

Woolen goiods 57 

Linen 57 

Silks 57 

Two . different arti- 
cles to be dyed _ 58 
Dyeing your old 

white slippers 58 

Economy in the 

home 59 

Efficiency in the 

home 62 

Eggs, to tell when 

they are fresh 65 

Enameled wMite 

furniture, to 

cleam 65 

Enameled kitchen 

ware, to keep 

clean 66 

Eniam^eled preserv- 
ing kettle that 

has become 

burned 66 

E'ading, to prevent, 

ginghams, etc. 66 

Fading, of pink, 

lavender and blue 

fabrics *67 



Faded silk, to re- 
store 68 

Feathers, to trans- 
fer 68 

Fern, to nourish 68 

Fiber rugs (ool- 

lored), to clean 69 

Finger nadls, to 

clean 69 

Fireplace, making 

it pleaisanter 69 

Fireproof clothing. 71 
Fireproof muslin 

and cotton goods 71 
Fleas, to extermi- 

maste 72 

Fleas, to trap 73 

Flies, to keep a^vay 74 
Floor that has 

grease spots 74 

Floor polish, to 

make 74 

Flower symbols 75 

Fly paper, to make 77 
Foreiing garden 

seeds 77 

Fragrant beads 77 

Frost, a 'bath room 

window to 78 

Frost, to guard 

against 79 

Funnel, homemade- 79 



INDEX. 



251 



Furniture polish, to 
make 80 

Furniture polish 
for automobiles 
and highly pol- 
lished surfaces _ 80 

Furniture that has 
.white spots 81 

Furs, eare of 81 

Furs, to clean 82 

Furs, when to put 
away 82 

GMlt fnames, 

to clean 82 

Gilt frame, to reno- 
vate 8i2 

Gilt ornamients, to 
wash 83 

Gilt writing 83 

Glass, to look like 

crystal 84 

Glass, to brighten _ 84 

Glass, dingy, to 

clean 84 

Glass dishes or tum- 
blers that stick 
together 84 

Glass dishes, not to 
crack. No. 1. 84 

Glass dishes, not to 
orack, No. 2. 85 

Glassware, to spar- 
kle like cut glass 85 



Glass stopper that 

is hard to remove 85 
Gloves, to clean — 86 
Gloves, mending 

made easy 86 

Gloves, care of 86 

Gold fish, care oif _ 87 
Gold chains, to 

clean 88 

Gold and silver 

jewelry, to clean 88 
Greasy utensils, to 

wash 88 

Greenery for dining 
room table 89 

Guest chamiber out- 
fit 89 

Hair brushes, to 

keep clean 89 

Hiandy mop, to 

make 90 

Handy tray, to 

make 90 

Hints on saving — 91 
Hooks, when screw- 
ed in hardwood _ 93 
Ice box piped out 

of doors 93 

Ice economy 93 

Immense jar with 

small neck, to 

olean _.. . ^-._ 94 



252 



INDEX. 



Inoaii descent man- 
tle, to save 94 

Ink stains from 

books, to remove 94 

Ink stiainis on the 
hands, No. 1. 94 

Ink stains on the 
hands, No. 2. — 95 

Ink sipots on 

marble 95 

Ink on solver or 

plated artieles 95 

Ink on white or 
light colored goods 95 

Ink on carpets 96 

Ink on cloth or any 
absorbing sub- 
stance 96 

Iron bed, to clean _ 96 

Iron mold, to re- 
move 96 

Iron rust, to re- 
move 97 

Iron rust, lon dainti- 
est of fabrics 97 

Iron, to make rust- 
proof 97 

Iaiotj knives, to re- 
store natural 
color 98 

Keep eggs, to 98 

Keeping cut flow- 
ers, No. 1. 98 



Kee|3ing cu;t flow- 
ers. No. 2. 100 

Keep siilk and lace 
white, to 100 

Kerosene lamps, 

odor to stop 101 

Kerosene lamp, to 

give a bright 

light lO'l 

Kid Gloves', care of 101 
Kitchen floor cover- 

inig 101 

Kitchenett<e ar- 
rangement 102 

Knife, to sha^rpien 

quickly 104 

Knit socks, how to 105 
Kno'b thiat has come 

off kettle 106 

Labor saving 

schemes 107 

Lace, to keep cream 

c olored 109 

Lace yoke, to look 

like new 110 

Lamp burners that 

are discolored 110 

Lamp is upset and 

oil takes fire, 

what to do 110 

Lamp wick, to put 

in quickly 111 



INDEX. 



253 



Laundry Suggestions. 

Blankets, hem to 

wash them 112 

Bleaching clothes _ 112 
Campsitool, to hold 

clothes basket — 113 
Delicate fabric, 

starching 113 

Folding table doth 113 
GMazed collars, to 

do up 114 

Handkerchiefs (col- 
ored), washing _ 115 
Handkerchiefs, 

hints 115 

Hints for the home 

laundress 116 

Home laundering _ 117 
Ideal laundry con- 
tainer 118 

Ironing day tips — 120 
Ironing during the 
summer months _ 121 

Ironing a bias 121 

Ironing points to 

remember 122 

Ironing blouse with 

buttons on 122 

Iron cleaner, No. 1. 122 
Iron cleaner. No. 2. 123 
Ironing task made 

easier 123 

Irons, care of 123 



Iron, lingerie rib- 
bon, to 124 

Iron, embroidered 

cases 124 

Iron rust on white 

clothes 124 

Irons, not to rust _ 124 
Kerosene oil is 
good to put into 

the Sitarch 125 

Lace and embroid- 
ery, to press 125 

Lace curtains that 

are soiled 125 

Laundry bags (in- 
diwdual) for 

childxen 126 

Laundry bOls, to 
save on work 

aprons 126 

Laundering cordu- 
roy 126 

Laundry economy _ 128 
Laundering laces -- 130 
Launder tatting' — 132 
Laundry time saver 132 

Launder voile 133 

Laundry wrinkle - 133 
Linen dTess starch- 
ing and ironing _ 134 

Lint, to clean 134 

Liquid blue, when 
used for clothes - 134 



554 



INDEX. 



Mend anythinig be- 
fore it is starched 134 

Eiasing- blankets 
and rugs on the 
line 135 

Rinsing colored 

blouses 135 

Rinsing lace to give 
it a cream color _ 135 

Sad irons, to retain 
the heat 135 

Silk, should not be 
ironed on the 
right side 136 

Soaking of clotheS- 136 

Stains land sipots on 
linen 136 

Starch, how to 
make 137 

Starchin'g by cold 
starching process 138 

Starching colors 138 

Stairching organdie 140 

Clean cretonne cur- 
tains 141 

Washing window 

curtains 14? 

"Wiashing curtains 

by simple method 144 

Curtains that have 
padnt stains 145 

Drying curtains 

outdoofTs 145 



Soaking lace cur- 
tains 146 

Stretching lace cur- 
tains ; 147 

Wiashing anything 

that is greasy 148 

Washing coarse 

olothes 148 

Washing liace 148 

Washing ratine 148 

Washing silk stock- 
ings 149 

AVlashing white 

clothes that look 

slightly yellow 

after waishing — 149 
Washinig white silk 

stockings 149 

Windy wash day 150 

Wooden tubs, not 

to dry up 151 

Household Wisdom. 

Leaky hot wlater 
bottles, use for _ 152 

Leather stains, to 
remove 152 

Light dishes, to 

take out from 

the oven 152 

Light housekeeping 152 
Linoleum, to polish 153 



INDEX. 



255 



Linoleum, to reno- 
vate 154 

Lint and diisit, to 
take up from the 
floor 154 

Liquid glue to 
make for labeling 
on tin 154 

Loose cliameis 
gloves for house- 
work 155 

Luster of morrooco 
or any other 
leather, to renew 155 

Machine oil spots, 

to remove from 

m'aterial where 

the colors will 

run 155 

Mackintosh, to 

mend 155 

Making a fire 156 

Marble slab, uses of 157 
Mark chdld 's name 

on school books 

and overshoes — 159 
Matting, care of __ 159 
Mending china and 

pottery 159 

Metal lace, to 

brighten 160 

Mildew, to remedy 160 



Mildew stains, to 

remove, No. 1. — 160 
Wildew stains, to 

remove, No. 2. 161 

Mildew stains on 

white clothes 161 

Mirror, to pofeh 161 

Mold on books, to 

prevent 162 

Mosquitos, to drive 

away 162 

Mosquitos, remedy 

for bites 162 

Mosquitos, protec- 
tion from 163 

Moth bag 164 

Moths in carpet, 

No. 1. 165 

Moths in carpet, 

No. 2. 166 

M'oths, protectidin 

from 166 

Moths, %p save fur® 

from 166 

Moths, habits and 

remedies 167 

Moth safety, leold 

■storage for 172 

Mountain climbing- 174 
Musty tea pot, to 

clean 175 

Niekelplate, to 

clean 175 



I 



256 



INDEX. 



Nickel silver orna- 

ments, to clean _ 175 

Oil cloth, to clean _ 175 

Oil cloth, washing _ 175 

Oil cloth, to l>e 

pasted 176 

Oil paintitiig, to 

clean, No. 1. 176 

Oil padnling, to 

clean, No. 2. ___ 176 
Oil stains on cloith- 

ing 177 

Old corks are useful 177 
Old cotton sheets, 

uses for 177 

Old linen and cot- 
ton, uses for 177 

Old oilcloth, uses 

for 178 

Old table linen in 

illness 178 

Old velvet is useful 178 
Ostrich feathers, to 

clean 179 

Oven cloths made 

of denim 179 

Oxidized silver, to 

clean 180 

Paint, to clean, No. 

1. - 180 

Paint, to clean, No. 

2. 180 



Paiinit, to remove • 

from clothing . 181 

Piaint, to remove 

from glass. No. 1. 181 
Paint, to remove 

from glass, No. 2. 181 
Paint, to remove 

from glass. No. 3. 18'! 
Paint, to remove 

odor 18'2 

Paint pantry 

shelves 18'2 

Paint spots on 

serge, to remove- 18.2 
Plaint your gas 

Btove — 183 

Panama bat, to 

clean 183 

Pans, to be soaked 183 

Pans that are black- 
ened or burned - 183 

Par(asol (white), to 
clean 184 

Paste, to than 184 

Patent leather 
shoes, ea.Te of 184 

Pateait leather 

shoes, to clean 184 

Peach stains, to re- 
move, No. 1. 185 

Peach stains, to re- 
move, No. 2. 185 



INDEX. 



257 



Pers{)irabion stains, 
to clean 18o 

Pewiter, to clean, 
No. 1. ]86 

Pewitier, to clean, 
No. 2. 180 

Picture cleaming __ 186 

Picture frame, to 
protecit 187 

Picture, to bang up 187 

Pile plush, to raise 188 

Pitch and turpen- 
tiine stains, to re- 
move 188 

Pitch and paint 

stains-, to remove 188 

Pitcher that drips _ 188 

Plaster casts, to 

clean 189 

Polished table that 
has been marred. 18P 

Polishing cut glass 189 

Polishing pad for 

shoes 19(» 

Porcelain lined ket- 
tle that has goaie 
dry 190 

Postage stamps 
that stick togeth- 
er, No. 1. — _— 190 

Postage stamps 
that stick togeth- 
er, No. 2. 191 



Pots and kettles 

should not be 

scraped 191 

Putty knife liu the 

kitchen 191 

Putty (old) to re- 
move. No. 1. 191 

Putty (old) to re- 
move. No. 2. ___ 192 

Rad'iaitO'r brush, 

siiibstitute 192 

Riaimeoiats may be 
kept looking like 
new . 192 

Baincoats, to elean 198 

Range or stove, to 
move 193 

Range should never 
be packed full of 
coal 194 

Range, to dust 195 

Rattan, bamboo 
and 'basket work, 
to clean 195 

Raw linseed oil, to 
wipe off your 
stove 195 

Refrigerator care _ 195 

Revive color, 196 

Ribbon®, hair, to re- 
new 196 

Ribbons, to clean _ 197 



2oS 



INDEX. 



-Roaster, double, to 
dean 197 

Kubbea* tubing, to 

preserve 198 

Rugs, care of 198 

Rugs, faded, to re- 
new 199 

Rugs, to brighten _ 200 
Rugs, to keep from 
turning up at 

the ends 200 

Rust, to remove __ 200 
Rust, to remove 

from steel /201 

Rusty black crepe, 

to restore 201 

►Salt and alcohoi, to 

remove grease __ 201 
School books, to 

clean 202 

Scorch, to remove _ 202 
Scrap baskets, the 

l>est 203 

Scren- that is loose 203 
Scuttle (Japanese) 

to clean 203 

Sediment in china 
aed earthenware- 203 

Set colors, to 20-4 

Set delicate colors, 

^ ^o 204 

Set colors in new 
cotton fabnics __ 205 



Sewing niaeliine 

cleaning 2O0 

SeAAing machine 
tread, to make 
^ more comfortable 205 
Shabby leather 

bags, to improve 206 
Shallow shelves for 

the paiitry 206 

Shirts, to wear 

^ longer 2O6 

Shoes, more com- 
fortable 207 

Shrinking, to pre- 
vent 207 

SOk (black), to 

clean 207 

Silk, to test 207 

Sdlk and wool, to 

test 208 

Silver cleaning. No. 

^.1- 208 

Silver cleandng, JSTo. 

2- 209 

Silver, hints on __ 209" 
Silver, not to turn 

dark ^09 

Silver polish, to 

make 2IO 

Silver, to keep 

bright 210 

Sink disinfectant _ 210 



INDEX. 



259 



Jink, enameled, &r 

bath tub, to clean 210 
Sink, to clean and 

sweeten 211 

Skirts, to press 211 

Smoke marks on 
walls and ceiiling, 

to remove 211 

Soap jelly, to maJ^e 211 

Soap making 212 

Soap odor, to pre- 
vent — 2ia 

Soiled spots on 
Avhit^e silk or sat- 
in, to rem'ove 214 

Sponges, care of 214 

Sponges, to bleach- 214 
Sponging a silk 

dress 214 

Sponging clothes _ 2 la 
Spots of ice cream 

on a silk dress 215 

Spots on furniture- 2'15 

Bpotted gloves 21fT 

Stained china. 216 

Staineci garments ^. 2.17 
5tadns on baking 

diishes 217 

3(tains (chocolate) 
on white dresses 
or table linen 217 

stains, on flannels 217 



Sta ima (grass) on 
white material — 217 

Stains (grass) on 

linen articles 218 

S^taLns (grass), ob- 
stinate 21S 

Staiins, iodine 218 

Stiains, machine oil 318 

Stains, mirror 

glasses 218 

Stains, nail, on 

wood 219 

Sitains, overcoat col- 
la.r 219 

Stains resulting 
from potato par- 
ing or fruit pick- 
ing -— _ 219 

Stains, soot, to re- 
move 219 

Stains, tablecloth 

and napkins 220 

Steaming velvet 221 

Steel knives, to 
clean 221 

Stopper (glass), 

not to stick 221 

Stove wisdom 221 

Draughts and 

dampers 2'2i2 

Heat to be sent 

around OA^en 228 

Kind of fuel to use 223 



260 



INDEX. 



Ruib blackboard 
eraser over stove 
daily 223 

Rusty stove, to 
bla eken 2 24 

Seleeting a range _ 224 

Secure shining re- 
sults 224 

Steel range with 
hood is most de- 
sirable 224 

Stove, blacking and 
clean hands 225 

Stove palish econ- 
omy 225 

Stiove, to keep clean 225 

Stioves, smoked 

mica in 226 

Stove front can be 
painted 226 

Soot will collect less 226 

To keep fire going _ 2)27 

Wiaste of fuel 227 

Stockings, black, 

not to fade 227 

SummeT curtiains, 

buying 228 

Tia.ffeta, to renovate 2'28 

Tam-o'-shanter, not 
to shrink when 
washed 22S 



Tarnished gold lace 

and embroddery, 

to ©lean 2i28 

Tar, to remove 

from hiands 228 

Tatting, to clean _ 229 
Tea and chocolate 

stadins 229 

Tea and coffee 

stains 229 

Tea and coffee 

stains of long 

sitan ding 23 

Tenuis baJls, to 

clean 230 

Tinwa.re, to clean, 

No. 1. 231 

Tinwa.re, to clean, 

Xo. 2. 231 

Vaseline spots, to 

take out 231 

Vases having long 

necks, to. clean __ 231 
Varnished furni- 
ture, to clean 232 

A'arnished paper, to 

wash 232 

Vairnished woo<l, to 

wash 232 

Varnish stain on 

cloth, to remove- 233 



INDEX. 



261 



Vegetable refuse, to 
avoid odor Avben 

burniiiig 233 

Veils, care of 233 

Veils, to clean 234 

Velvet blows, to ren- 
ovate 234 

Velvet, to clean 235 

Velvet, to freshen. 235 
Vioilin, to cilean — 236 
Wagon grease on 

gia.rments 230 

Wall paper, grease 

oai - 236 

Wall paper pajtches 236 
Wall paper, to clean 237 
Wash boileir, not to 

rust 237 

Wash ciloth, to 

make 237 

Washing floors 237 

Washing hair, to 

prevent tangling- 238 

Washing knitted 

gloves 238 

Washing sdlk gloves 239 
Washing soda, mot 

to use on china _ 239 
Waste basket, to 

make 239 

Waiterproof apron _ 240 



Waterproof snitcase 240 

Whalebone, to re- 
new 240 

White coque, mara- 
bou and ostrich 
feathers, to clean 240 

White fdt hats, to 
clean, No. 1. 241 

White felt hats, to 
clean, No. 2. — 242 

White gloves, to 

clean 242 

White paper on re- 
frigerator shelves 242 

Whiite vesit, to clean 243 

Whitewash, not to 

rub off 243 

White woodwork, to 
clean 243 

White zepibyr artic- 
les, to clean 243 

Windo.ws in winter 244 

Windows, to clean _ 244 

Window AA^ashing 244 

Wire screeais, to 

clean 245 

Woodwork, to clean 245 

Wrinkles on gar- 
ments, to remove 245 

Zink kitchen table 
stains, to remove 246 

Zink, to brighten _ 24(5 



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